Depression Life
by Dcfan100
Summary: The year is 1936 right in the middle of the American great depression. Neji is an orphan living in Flint Michigan and decides to run away from the orphanage with his friends and a feisty new girl named Tenten. NejiTen
1. Chapter 1

**My second, multi chaptered Naruto fan fic and my fifth NejiTen. I know I already have one going but I'm seriously having trouble deciding where to take that fic. So, to help me get over my writers block, I decided to go ahead and start on a fic I've wanted to write for a long time. It's loosely based on the book 'Bud, Not Buddy' and takes place in Flint, Michigan during the American great depression. For those of you who are not American or just really hate history, the great depression was a period in the 1930's when the stock market crashed. These were some of the hardest times in American history and many kids were left in orphanages while there relatives left to find work in other cities. Since, the 'main characters in school' idea has been done to the death, IMO, I decided to do a different kind of AU story, although with so many fics on the Naruto site I wouldn't be surprised if this type of fic has been done already. Now we only start out with six characters but more will come and go as the story goes on. Anyway, please review and remember that comments, suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome! **

"Ugh, I cannot take another minute of screaming from those babies" Kiba growled from the bottom bunk of his bed as he and the other three teens tried to sleep which was made nearly impossible due to the constant crying of the younger children in the neighboring rooms.

"It's troublesome, but what are you going to do?" his friend, Shikamaru sighed from the top bunk.

"I don't know. Go over there and have Akamaru bite em maybe?" Kiba said flashing a grin that was visible even in the dark. "That ought to shut them up"

"Bitting innocent children?" a bored voice said from the opposite side of the room. "You've hit a new low Inuzuka"

"Oh lighten up Saskue" Kiba said continuing to grin while petting his sleeping dog.

"I still don't know how you manage to hide that thing in the orphanage despite the strict 'no pets' rule" yet another voice said from the bunk above Saskue.

"With all these new kids arriving the adults have been so busy I'd be surprised if they did manage to find him" Shikamaru yawned.

"Speaking of new kids, I heard we got a couple new ones yesterday" Kiba piped up.

"We're always getting new kids" Shikamaru mumbled.

"More babies?" The boy above Saskue asked.

"Two of them are but ones a girl, I heard one of the adults say she's fourteen, makes her the same age as you, eh Neji?" Kiba said.

"Hn" Neji answered simply and Kiba turned his attention back to his dog.

"Why do you do it Inuzuka?" Saskue asked.

"Do what?"

"They barely feed us here and yet you always save enough for 'that'" he said motioning to the dog. "And with new kids arriving every day, the portions just keep getting smaller"

"He has a name you know" Kiba growled "Akamaru is family to me, you know, ever since my sister…" he stopped short and sighed while silence filled the room, even the crying children seemed to quiet down a bit.

"She'll come back one of these days Kiba" Shikamaru said at last, breaking the silence.

"She'd better" Kiba mumbled. Kiba's sister had left him at the orphanage and headed out west to try and find a job. She'd promised to come back but as the years wore on, Kiba was starting to have his doubts. "What about you guys?" he asked suddenly "You guys have any family left?"

"If we did, do you think any of us would be here?" Neji asked, his white eyes narrowing.

"I think I have a brother" Saskue shrugged deciding to ignore Neji's comment. "My parents never really talked about him. They said he was up in New York somewhere"

"No, it was just me and my dad until he died" Shikamaru sighed "Choji and Ino were just like family to me, then they were adopted."

"Yeah, they always go for the pretty ones" Kiba chuckled, upon getting no response from the other two her frowned. "Oh come on, even Naruto was more fun that you three"

"Ow, that cut me deep" Saskue said sarcastically.

"It has been pretty boring without him around though" Shikamaru sighed.

"I still can't believe what happened to him though" Kiba said shaking his head "He gets taken into a perfectly good foster home, gets three square meals a day, then gets into a fight with there kid and goes on the lam"

"Didn't you see those guys?" Saskue asked with a raised eyebrow "Mr. Pein and Mrs. Konan are not exactly the kind of people I would want to be living with. And there son, Hidan? He was a total brat. I can't really blame him for running"

"Where do you think he is now?" Kiba asked curiously.

"Probably running around town trying to find food" Shikamaru yawned again as the children in the other room finally quieted down and fell asleep.

"At least he took a step in the right direction" Neji spoke up calmly.

"Seriously Neji?" Kiba asked in a loud whisper. "I mean yeah this place is no picnic but at least we get fed and old man Sarutobi…"

"He does his best to try and care for all the kids here but this is Flint! There are about two hundred orphaned kids here, mostly babies and more coming. You said it yourself, we just got a few new ones today, it won't be long before this place is full" Neji said sitting up while his voice slightly rose in volume.

"Yeah, yeah I get the point. What do you propose we do about it Mr. Genius?" Kiba asked while raising an eyebrow.

"Well I know what **I'm **going to do" Neji said climbing down from the second bunk and gathering the few items he had from the small table that lay in between the two bunk beds.

"Neji…are you crazy?" Shikamaru asked still retaining his bored tone, yet it was obvious he was seriously questioning his friend's sanity at the moment.

"If there's one thing my father taught me before he died it was never to become a burden to others and that's all I've become while I've been here" Neji said, his white eyes narrowing.

"Where are you going to stay?" Saskue asked skeptically.

"Well that is the problem isn't it Uchiha? What I know is I'm going to find Naruto first, the kid will get himself killed if he stays out there much longer"

"Hey, you're not going out there alone" Kiba added quickly.

"Does that mean you're coming with me?" Neji asked with his usual calm and collected tone. Kiba let out a dog like laugh.

"Yeah, fine I'm in. If my sister ever does show up, well she won't find me here"

"I'm coming as well" Saskue said as he also stood up and started to collect his things. "I'm not about to let myself be outdone by you two" The trio then turned to Shikamaru who simply looked back at them with a bored expression on his face.

"Troublesome" he muttered before sighing "I guess I'll come as well" he climbed out of bed and gathered his things as well. "So what's first fearless leader?" Shikamaru asked Neji.

"Since, when did I become the leader?" Neji asked.

"Well this little scheme is your idea" Kiba smiled.

"Fine, follow me and keep it down" Neji said silently opening the door.

"Hang on!" Kiba said suddenly from his bed. Carefully he picked Akamaru up and cradled him in his arms before giving a nod of approval. Neji nodded back, and the four walked out of the room.

"Were do we head first?" Saskue asked cautiously.

"The kitchen" Neji whispered creeping across the wooden floors of the nearly silent orphanage.

"You know if Iruka catches us we're never going to get out of here" Kiba said with a smirk as the group rounded the corner and crept into the dining room. "How are we supposed to get into the kitchen again? I thought they keep it locked."

"Apparently everyone's figured it out except you" Saskue said smugly as Neji opened and slipped through the window where the cafeteria cooks served the food.

"Okay, head for the cupboards" Neji said silently.

"And just what do you think your doing" a female voice said suddenly from behind the group. Instantly everyone (minus Shikamaru) spun around to see a girl of about fourteen years standing there with her hands on her hips and a raised eyebrow.

"Haven't seen you around here before" Shikamaru said calmly "You must be the new girl"

"Isn't it a little late to be breaking into the kitchen?" she asked. "I think I recall a few rules they told me about this kind of stuff"

"We just need the food we would have been served for breakfast tomorrow and then we're be going, we don't want any trouble…" Neji said waiting for her to finish the sentence with her name.

"You're going on the lam?" the girl said instantly perking up and a smile rushing to her face "Cool, I'll come to" Neji just stared at the girl not believing that she would actually volunteer to run away with them. If he'd asked any other girl at the orphanage to accompany them they would have instantly rejected his request and possibly have told on them.

"I don't think…" he began.

"Don't think what?" she smiled sitting on the table and letting her legs swing back and forth "I'll be able to handle myself out there because I'm a girl? I'm a lot tougher than I look" she smirked.

"You're not coming" Neji stated firmly.

"Hey, I'm running away from this place either way. I never stay in places like this for long. So you guys can either let me join you or go out into the streets of a major city not knowing what to expect and probably get yourselves killed" Kiba scoffed at the last part and the girl shot him a look. "How many of you have actually ridden the rails to another city?" she asked skeptically. Kiba just gave another dog like grin and raised his hand. The girl just rolled her eyes. Neji sighed and looked back at the others who shrugged as if to say 'sure why not?'

"Fine, you can come with us. Now Kiba, get the cupboard open we've wasted enough time."

"It's locked" Kiba growled in frustration turning around. "What do we do…" he stopped as he heard a clicking sound. The girl smiled as she stood next to the open cupboards holding a small metal wire.

"Just get some fruit and put it into one of the paper bags, and let's get going" Neji said sternly.

"Pff, you're welcome" the girl smirked at him.

"What's you name?" he asked coolly.

"Tenten, and you are?"

"Neji"

"Huh, weird name" she smiled.

"Hn" he said simply, this girl was definitely a strange one.

"Okay, we're ready" Saskue said as he and Shikamaru finished storing the food.

"Then lets go" Neji nodded as the group slipped back out of the kitchen, through the halls, and out the door into the warm night time air of Flint.

**So what did you think? Sorry if the first chapter was boring, the story will get better I promise. Anyway, please review and I hope to get the next chapter up after I've updated my other fics! **


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey, I'm back! Sorry for the long wait, school, life and all that stuff. High School's as bad as it always was. Anyway, thanks for your reviews and comments, you guys rock! So I'm gonna keep this authors note short and just go into chapter 2, I hope you enjoy and please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. **

"So where do we go first, Neji?" Tenten asked using his first name with a smirk as the small group continued aimlessly on the road away from the orphanage. Neji eyed the girl suspiciously in the light of the half moon. She wore a pair of faded blue jeans, and an old red shirt. Her dark brown hair was tied into buns at either end of her head matching the lighter color of her brown eyes…or were they green? Not the usual dress of any of the other girls at the orphanage but from the five minutes he'd spent with this girl, Neji knew that Tenten probably wasn't anywhere near normal.

"Well the first thing we were going to do was try and track down Naruto," Neji answered with a sigh looking around the area.

"Naruto?" the girl asked inquisitively. Neji suddenly remembered the girl had only arrived yesterday and had no idea of who was who.

"A friend of ours," Kiba started to explain "Beat up some kid in his foster home and went on the run, nobody's heard from his since. Blond hair, wears bright colors, always acts like he's had too much sugar. You'd like him." Kiba said giving a doggish grin. Tenten just rolled her eyes.

"Well we're not going to find him tonight," Shikamaru observed. "The best thing to do would be to find a place to stay for the night." Neji nodded in agreement.

"And where would that be?" Saskue asked. The group fell into an uneasy silence before Neji spoke up.

"Well go to the library," he said at last "It's a ways off but at least we'll have a place to stay for the night"

"Well…lead the way," Tenten smiled when everyone else failed to comment.

"Hn," Neji said turning at the next street and taking the group back towards downtown Flint.

"He knows his way around the city pretty well doesn't he?" Tenten asked Shikamaru interrupting the dark and surprisingly silent streets of the city.

"He's lived here his whole life, longer than any of us." Shikamaru replied with a yawn ignoring the stale Flint air he'd just inhaled.

"So he's the leader of this little gang?" Tenten questioned. Shikamaru just shrugged.

"I really couldn't care less whose in charge," he explained "I let these guys make the decisions and just roll with them, but yeah I guess Neji's in charge" Shikamaru finished. Tenten seemed to find it a satisfactory answer and quickened her pace to fall back into step with Neji at the front of the group without another word. The silence of the city gradually began to disappear but only in the form of a stray cat or dog running across the road and tipping over a garbage bin or the sound of another mans shoes on the pavement.

"Here we are," Neji said finally as the group arrived at the large building.

"So, they don't lock this thing up at night?" Kiba asked.

"No, they do but there are some windows that they never lock that we can climb through" Neji explained walking past the library and into the collection of evergreen trees that lay right beside it.

"Don't bother" Shikamaru yawned "If this 'depression's gotten as bad as the grown folks say it has they've probably found some way to keep people like us out"

"Huh?" Kiba asked turning back towards Shikamaru only to see him leaning up against one of the evergreen trees fast asleep.

"He's right," Saskue said giving an exasperated sigh upon finding the steel bars that someone had placed across the windows.

"Then I guess we'll just have to stay here for the night." Tenten shrugged as she started to follow Shikamaru's lead, finding a comfortable spot on the ground and laying down. The three others just watched as Tenten hit the ground and instantly fell asleep.

"Well…she's seems to be adjusting to this better than I thought. I call the trees!" Kiba shouted quickly grabbing onto a large limb with one rough hand and pulling himself up with Akamaru in the other hand.

"Are you sure you can sleep there?" Saskue asked.

"Do you really have to ask?" Kiba grinned climbing to the second large limb and finding a comfortable position. Neji and Saskue sighed simultaneously. The two gave each other a stiff nod before finding there own areas, a good deal away from each other and falling asleep.

* * *

Neji awoke several hours later. He felt a very slight and momentary surge of panic in him at the unfamiliarity of his surroundings before recalling the events of the previous night. Neji looked around, it was still dark out although you could see the darkness was starting fade a little bit. Around four thirty, Neji guessed glancing at his friends. Saskue was laying by the farthest evergreen still fast asleep, Shikamaru looked like he was dead to the world as usual and Kiba was directly above him looking like he might fall out of his tree at any moment.

"Where's Tenten?" he asked out loud but more to himself than to anyone else.

"Over here," came the girl's voice from the wall by the library.

"You're up early," he observed walking over and sitting down beside her.

"Force of habit," she shrugged. "How about you? Do you always get up at four thirty?" she asked.

"Sometimes," he said glancing back at the girl. Tenten nodded as if to affirm that she heard his answer without taking her eyes away from the city. Neji turned his attention away from Tenten and towards the city not sure of what she found so interesting. As the minutes wore by Neji found that more of the city was visible from there present point than he first thought. Slowly, the stray animals vanished back into the alley ways. The homeless men that slept on the street were the first signs of human life to emerge, taking a short while to wake up and stretch before going to stand in line for the soup kitchens or go off to try and find there next meal. Soon, the men, women and children filed out of there houses. Most headed down to the soup kitchens but a few took different paths and headed off to work all just as a ray of sunshine finally appeared in the distance. Tenten gave a sigh of satisfaction and stood up apparently done watching to day begin. Suddenly, Neji felt something move past his leg. His eyes shot downward and he smiled upon seeing it was only Akamaru wagging his tail in greeting the two.

"Hey boy," Neji said stroking the dog on the head.

"You know him?" Tenten asked curiously looking at the strange dog.

"He's Kiba's dog," Neji explained.

"Kiba?"

"That would be me" Kiba yawned coming up behind the two. Akamaru gave a loud bark and ran over Kiba who smiled and promptly picked him up.

"Huh. I thought you smelled funny," Tenten shrugged nonchalantly. Kiba just grinned again.

"Maybe we didn't all introduce ourselves properly yesterday" he said. "So I'm just gonna go ahead and tell ya right now. I'm Kiba, the lazy one over there is Shikamaru, the silent one is Saskue, this is Akamaru" he smiled setting his dog back down "and of course you already know Neji" Tenten nodded with a smile before turning back towards Neji.

"Whoa!" she said quickly taking a step back straight into the library wall.

"What?" Neji asked glancing around as Kiba and Akamaru looked up curiously.

"Y..You're eyes" she stuttered pointing at his head.

"What about them," Neji asked knowing full well the answer.

"Oh boy" Kiba breathed as he quickly turned around and walked back to there tree.

"Well, they…they're white" she said looking a bit embarrassed.

"It's a family thing" he said quickly turning his eyes away.

"Um, did I say something wrong?" Tenten asked as Akamaru turned to follow Kiba. Neji looked up at her and stared for what seemed like an eternity.

"No," he said at last "Forget about it. Come on, lets go eat." He said as the two walked back towards the group.

"Neji's kind of touchy on the subject of his family," Kiba whispered to her "We never bring it up." Tenten nodded and started to sit down before Kiba grabbed her arm. "Really Tenten," he said his face completely serious "I know they guy acts like a jerk but he's been through more than you know" Tenten nodded once again and the pair sat down as Neji opened the paper bag.

"Kiba," a lazy voice drawled "Tell your dog to stop licking my face."

"Well maybe you should wake up a little earlier" Kiba grinned as Saskue walked up to the group.

"Heads up" Neji said throwing an apple to Tenten.

"Thanks" the girl muttered before quickly starting to eat like she hadn't had any food for the past week. The guys gave her odd glances. "What?" she asked looking up from the half ravaged piece of fruit.

"Nothing" Neji said shaking his head and tossing pieces of fruit to the others. Tenten continued to attack her breakfast as the guys watched her uneasily. "Um, Tenten?" Neji asked looking at the girl just as the others began to eat "Would you…like more?"

"Well…" Tenten said suddenly looking embarrassed and tossing the apple core over her shoulder "Shouldn't we be heading off to find your friend." Neji and even Shikamaru gave a small chuckle.

"We've got time," Neji said.

"If there's one place Naruto's going to be, it's at the mission for breakfast and if I know Naruto he's going to show up at the last minute." Shikamaru explained. Kiba and even Saskue gave a small chuckle at that and continued eating.

"Anyone need anything else before we head off to the mission?" Neji asked finishing off his apple.

"Maybe a bath" Saskue grumbled.

"Oh come on you big baby" Kiba smirked "Your precious hair can go a couple of days without being washed" Saskue just ran a hand through his hair and shivered.

"Lets go" Shikamaru sighed with a grin as the group headed off towards the soup kitchen.

"How are we supposed to find him in there?" Kiba asked looking at the line that stretched down the block before disappearing around a corner.

"We wait by the exit," Neji said "If Naruto goes into the mission then we just have to wait for him to come out"

Sure enough, about half an hour later a figure dressed in orange with bright yellow hair emerged.

"Hey Naruto!" Kiba called.

"Kiba? Hey! Saskue, Neji, Shikamaru! What are you guys doin here?" he asked running over to the group. "And who's your friend?" he said seeing Tenten. Akamaru barked in greeting "Hey Akamaru, still hanging around this loser" Naruto grinned as he and Kiba exchanged grins and high fives.

"Is he always like this?" Tenten asked looking at the eccentric blonde.

"Unfortunately" Shikamaru sighed.

"Cut the small talk" Neji said butting into Naruto and Kiba's greetings "We have a few things we need to discuss"

**Chapter 2, I do have an ending point for this story the whole problem is how to get there. Oi! Anywho, I hope that was okay. I know there were some flaws but I'm trying to make this story interesting. I also try to make this story as historically accurate as possible but if you see any flaws or misinterpreted facts please tell me. Also, if you have any suggestions or comments, feel free to tell me about them in a review or message. Until next time!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! Yes, I am still alive. Where have I been for the last couple weeks you may ask? Two words, 'Young Justice'. Sorry I haven't been around much and this may be the last chapter for awhile as I'm looking to start a few Christmas fan fiction projects. Anywho, I fear that this story loses some aesthetic value (not like any of my stories have any to begin with) so if you have any suggestions or ideas on how to make the story better I would love to hear them. Remember, reviewers are really really really X5 appreciated but constructive criticism is practically worshiped. Well not really since that would be Gnosticism or henotheism or a tribal religion or… man I need to really take a break from my theology class. **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto…duh.**

"Alright," Neji said looking over the group of five in front of him as they stood in the forest behind the library. "Now that we're all together again we need to find out just where we're going to go next."

"We keep waiting in the soup kitchen lines twice a day before they weed out the chronic deadbeats and move onto the next city," Naruto suggested.

"How about we find something a bit more long term idiot," Saskue grumbled.

"Well if you've got any better idea's I'm more than happy to hear them," Naruto replied hotly.

"There always the local Hooverville," Tenten piped up.

"You're kidding right?" Shikamaru asked leaning up against a tree. "In case you haven't heard Flint's Hooverville is pretty much just a collection of huts and tents thrown together made of pieces of boxes and cloth. It also breaks just about every zoning a health law issued by the city of Flint."

"Hey I slept in a shack made from old fruit cases for the last year and a half," Tenten shrugged "If there one thing I've learned it's that it could always be worse."

"And only you could be worried about zoning laws at a time like this Shikamaru." Kiba said rolling his eyes. "I say we catch a train out to Chicago or Atlanta."

"I just came from Chicago," Tenten whined.

"What's the situation down there?" Neji asked.

"Half a million out of work is that last I heard. Thought I'd go back to riding the rails to see if things were any better up here. The cops caught me at the Flint depot and sent me off to the orphanage." Tenten sighed.

"I say we stay in Flint," Naruto said. "As long as we can find food and have a place to sleep we should be fine right?"

"Naruto we just spent last night sleeping under a group of evergreens by the Library. It's already late August and you know that Michigan winters always come extremely early. What are we going to do then? We more likely to freeze to death." Saskue said skeptically.

"Oh yeah, winter time, tell me what did it get up in Mio back in July? One hundred and thirteen was it?" Naruto shot back as the two started staring daggers at each other.

"What's there deal?" Tenten asked.

"You tell me," Kiba shrugged before turning back towards Neji. "I vote we ride the rails. To somewhere like…New York or Chicago if things are really that bad."

"What do you mean if things are really that bad?" Tenten asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Hey, it can't be like this all across the country can it?" Kiba asked (it was). Neji remained stoic and looked over at Shikamaru.

"I don't care," Shikamaru said simply laying back down on his back and looking up at the clouds.

"Well Tenten?" Neji asked.

"I was planning to keep traveling north to try and find work somewhere." Tenten said casually "If you ask me I say we walk to one of the cities up north but you're calling the shots here."

"Work? Tenten in case you haven't noticed your fourteen, and by law you're too young to work." Kiba smirked.

"Yeah well Uncle Sam sure didn't stop the folks at my old orphanage from enlisting us in the factories." Tenten said with a frown. Neji looked over her briefly and shook his head before standing up and in front of the group again.

"Alright listen up!" he said. Everyone turned towards him. "Who wants to stay in Flint?" Naruto raised his hand and looked around eagerly before putting his hand down and frowning.

"Who wants to try and see if things are any better in another city?" Neji asked. Shikamaru, Saskue and Kiba raised there hands. "It's decided then." Neji said quietly. "Kiba, where will we have to go in order to catch a train?"

"The train yard is about a mile and a half outside of Hoovervile last I heard," Kiba shrugged as the group rose to there feet. "Thats where my sis went anyway,"

"Then I guess that's where we're headed."

"Hooperville," Naruto asked "Why…"

"Hooverville Idiot," Saskue said whacking him on the back of the head as the group headed back out onto the streets of Flint. "As in President Hoover."

"Oh," Naruto shrugged as if he couldn't care less, "Wait, I forgot my bag!" he said suddenly rushing back to the group of trees behind the library.

"He has a bag?" Tenten asked skeptically.

"He calls it a suitcase," Kiba shrugged as the gang continued walking. "But it's more like four pieces of cardboard slapped together." Tenten slowed down and waited for the kid to catch up. Naruto grunted in frustration as he tried to stuff a few of his belongings into his 'suitcase'. A flyer fluttered out of his hand and into the air. Casually, Tenten reached up into the air and grabbed it. She looked at it curiously.

"What is this?" she asked.

"That?" Naruto asked, "I don't know, I just…kind of had a funny felling about that flyer. It's an advertisement for a band that passed through here once."

"Yeah, like three years ago," Tenten said looking at the man sitting at the front of the band. "Minato Namikaze and the New Age Knights of the Depression?" she asked in confusion.

"Yeah, weird name right?" Naruto asked with a shrug "But, like I said, I've always had a funny feeling about that flyer." Tenten stared at it but not at the figure in front but at the figure to Minato's left who had a pair of very familiar white pupiless eyes. "Something wrong?" Naruto asked looking at Tenten's face.

"No, no, it's nothing." Tenten said quickly handing the flyer back to him. "Come on, we'd better go catch up with the others.

**Okay I know that was short but like I said, my brain in agh right now on ideas. I have the end in mind, it's just how to get to the end that I'm stuck with. Now! Cultural facts time. The heat wave that hit North America in 1936 lead to more than a hundred deaths and new records were set in Michigan and Wisconsin for highest temperature on record. President Herbert Hoover became the fall guy for the Depression and even three years after he had been voted out of office the shanty towns that the poor lived in were still known as Hoovervilles, animals people caught for supper were known as Hoover Hogs and so on and so forth. Anyway, I guess thats it, next chapter will be better, I promise, but don't expect it too soon. Christmas fics remember.**


	4. Chapter 4

**New chapter! Srry this took me so long to get up, I was occupied, then I got sidetracked, yadda yadda, but I'm back now! :D So I hope you enjoy and remember, if you have any suggestions, comments of constructive criticism, please do not hesitate to tell me! Anywho, I hope you enjoy and here is chapter 4!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, **

"Hey, they added Jefferson's face to Mount Rushmore."

"Uh, Kiba? Where did you get the newspaper?" Naruto asked.

"You little punk! You're gonna have to pay for that!" a man shouted.

"And here we go," Shikamaru growled under his breath as the six immediately leapt to there feet and ran.

"We take a two minute break and Kiba gets us into trouble within thirty seconds," Saskue glared "Why am I not surprised?"

"Sorry, I just had to see what was in the news." Kiba shrugged.

"And…" Saskue said motioning for him to continue.

"Bob Feller struck out St. Louis!" Kiba grinned proudly holding up the paper.

"Kiba, you are so dead," Naruto huffed with a glare before looking over his shoulder. "Uh, Neji?" he asked motioning the man behind him who was quickly gaining ground.

"Kiba, Tenten, follow me. The rest of you go right at this intersection," Neji said quickly breaking left. The man came to a halt seeing the group go split up. He started after the group with that dog kid who'd taken his paper…or was it was that blonde kid? He shook his head and threw his hands up in disgust before heading back towards his stand mumbling something about 'stupid kids.' Neji looked back and held up a hand motioning for the group to stop. Tenten and Kiba nodded and stopped to catch their breath.

"We are not doing that again," Neji growled, glaring at Kiba.

"I enjoyed it," Tenten grinned catching her breath. Neji snatched the paper out of Kiba's hands and whacked him across the head.

"Not! Doing that again!" he repeated throwing the paper down.

"Pff, ice cube," Tenten mumbled before heading back towards the intersection where they'd split up. Akamaru looked up at Kiba and whined.

"I know right," Kiba asked looking down at the dog, as if he knew what it was saying before breaking into a dog like grin and shaking his head.

Neji just watched her walk off silently before he and Kiba followed. She was different alright. Back at the orphanage he'd only really gotten to know two girls very well. Sakura and Ino both of whom had been adopted. They were, in his mind, clingy, weird and a tad annoying but Ino had always been a good friend of Shikamaru and Sakura had always hung around Saskue so he'd tolerated them.

"Come on slowpokes! We don't have all day!" Tenten called to the two boys behind her. The girls he'd know had been followers for the most part always asking the boys what they wanted to do. Tenten on the other hand, "Get your ass over here now Hyuga!" didn't seem to give a damn about what anyone else thought about her.

"What took you Neji?" Kiba asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Nothing," he said quickly before taking a quick glance at Tenten and heading back to the intersection. Kiba and Akamaru snickered .

* * *

"We walked all day...for this?" Naruto asked surveying the broken sets of shacks the lined the small 'city'.

"Its Hooverville, what did you expect?" Shikamaru yawned.

"I don't know, something besides a bunch of thrown together cardboard huts," Naruto shrugged.

"So, what do we do now?" Saskue asked. "We can't just go in and expect them to feed us can we?"

"Well, one of us is going to have to go and ask them if it's alright if we at least stay the night," Kiba said from his position on a tree limb.

"And if they have any food left!" Naruto pipped eyes turned towards Neji.

"Well, fearless leader?" Nartuo asked with a smile. Neji sighed and started to walk forward.

"Want someone to come with you?" Tenten asked.

"Um...no thank Tenten, I'll be fine." Neji replied a little unsuredly. Tenten just shrugged and leaned up against a tree before watching Neji head off towards one of the fires that stood in front of one of the many shacks.

"He's a strange one alright," Tenten said shaking her head.

"Funny, He says the same thing about you," Shikamaru commented lazily. Tenten raised an eyebrow and looked back towards the long haired teenager.

* * *

"Excuse me," Neji began walking up to a group of men and woman who were sitting around a small bonfire. The group turned there heads and a man smiled.

"Hey kid! What can we do for you?" the tall man in what looked like a skin tight green army outfit and jacket said turning around.

"I was wondering if this is Hooverville?" Neji asked.

"Well it sure isn't Casablanca," a shorter man with snow white hair answered softly from beside him while flipping through a book.

"Indeed it is! This! Is Flints version of Hoopervile!" the man replied giving him a large smile and ignoring the man beside him.

"I was wondering if me and my friends could stay the night and if by any chance you had any food left?" Neji asked trying to keep his voice as level and as cool as possible.

"Well..." the man said "That depends, how many friends do you have?"

"Six, including me," Neji replied. The man looked back down at his friend with the book.

"Well Kakashi?" he asked.

"We'll be cutting it close but yes, you're more than welcome to stay here," he nodded before the man smiled again. Neji turned back to the group and waved them in. Slowly, the small group of kids approached the fire. The tall green man looked over the group and smiled.

"LEE!" He called out at the top of his lungs. In about five seconds a teen who appeared to have the same identical skin tight green military suit was by his side.

"YES SIR!" he said saluting him .

"Lee! We're going to be having about SIX more people TONIGHT so I want you to see if you can...MAKE ROOM!"

"Right away sir!" the boy yelled at the top of his lungs before rushing off into of of the huts.

"TEMARI!" He yelled again.

"Geez, no need to shout I'm right here," a blond haired girl who looked to be about Neji's age growled before standing up.

"Good! Can you see if we have any bowls left?" he continued to yell.

"Whatever," Temari said glancing at the group, scowling and heading towards a small pile of trays.

"Now, as you can see, since there's so many of us here we each pull our own weight, so you'll be on cleanup duty tonight," the man grinned.

"Thank you sir," Neji said.

"Please call me Gai," he said with another grin. Neji swore that his teeth gave off an audible ping as Temari approached them again.

"Alright," Temari said handing each of them a tin can or tray "This m'lords is your china, please be careful not to chip it."

"And apparently my china has the words jumbo a&p sardines on it," Shikamaru drawled looking at his can.

"Say Gai, those boys," Kakashi said from some distance away. "The two loners with black hair and the blonde one,"

"Yeah, do they remind you of anyone?"

"Well that one...he looks like..."

"Nah, it couldn't be. There's no way." Gai said shaking his head. Kakashi shrugged and gave them another glance.

"Still," he mumbled to himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Oi, this is getting generic. I feel that this story lacks...something. I know where I'm going with this but if anyone has any ideas or suggestions, _PLEASE_ share them. I would be more than happy to take them into consideration. Now that I've got that out of the way, I just want to say thank you once again to all my reviewers and people who put this on your favorites or alert list. So, not much else to say. Srry, this chapters a little short. I was feeling mech. So anyway, I hope you enjoy and please review!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto **

"So," Gai began quickly jumping up and boldly throwing a fist into the air with a laugh and a smile as the six kids wolfed down there food. "As you know, I am Miato Gai!" he grinned before pulling his green look alike to his side. "And this here is Rock Lee! My prized student!" the shorter boy grinned and saluted. "And this," Gai shouted motioning to the blonde, "Is Temari!" The girl just rolled her eyes and continued to throw some tin cans into a large cloth sack. "Now, I know you just arrived, but we all have to pull our weight around here so you'll all be pulling KP tonight. "

"KP?" Naruto asked with a lopsided frown.

"Kitchen police, you'll be on clean up duty," the white haired man with a mask explained not looking up from his book.

"Of course," Neji replied with a slight nod of his head.

"Do not worry!" Rock Lee spoke up upon seeing the tired looks on their faces. "KP can be a most invigorating exercise! Isn't that right Temari?" he finished as the group turned there focus towards the girl.

"Invigorating...right," she answered a minute later, a smirk spread across her face before she sighed. "Well if we want to get this job done anytime tonight you guys had better finish up soon!" At this Naruto nudged Shikamaru in the shoulder.

"Hurry up will you?" he whispered.

"You know I'm not a fast eater," he grumbled back.

"You're not a fast anything," Nartuo shot back, "And this girl looks like she's trying to decide which hand to smack us with, I suggest you hurry for once in your life." Shikamaru just rolled his eyes and kept on eating.

"Now, I'm gonna tell you how this is going to work ahead of time," Gai said crossing his arms. "To speed up the process I'm going to put you into groups of two. You're each going to get your share of dishes and then find your own spot along the creek to wash them at. Got it?" Everyone nodded except Shikamaru who simply looked on with bored eyes.

"Why groups of two?" he asked.

"So you have less people to waste time talking to," Temari answered glaring at Shikamaru.

"Alright!" Gai shouted stretching his arms "Blondie you go with buns, dog face with spiky hair, Neji can go with Lee and Temari..."

"Oh, no! You are not sticking me with **that** lazy ass."

"Language Temari," Gai reprimanded, the grin not vanishing. "Now let's move!" The group quickly shuffled to their feet.

"But...I...why do I?" Temari asked stuttered standing next to Gai.

"Because you promised your father that you'd listen to me until her got back. So let's see some enthusiasm out there!" Gai shouted throwing Temari a sack.

"Ugh...fine," Temari grumbled walking off towards the creek.

"I think you forgot someone!" Kakashi called after her motioning towards a sleeping Shikamaru.

"Son of a...!"

"Language Temari!"

"Oh shut up," she glared taking Shikamaru by the collar and dragging him off.

* * *

"Hey Naruto?" Tenten asked looking over at the spot where the hyperactive kid was vigorously scrubbing away at a can with a tattered brown rag he'd found in the sack.

"Yeah?" he answered barely looking up as he handed her another can to dry.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"Um...sure," he shrugged tentatively.

"It's about that flyer," she said casually. Naruto glanced at her for a few seconds before going back to scrubbing the can. "I was just wondering, where'd you get it?" Naruto just kept scrubbing for another few minutes before sighing.

"It was my moms," he answered drying his hands on his pants and pulling out the flyer. "She always kept flyers of this band. I have no idea why. She'd bring these home after she got back from work and just look these over then place them on her dresser." he smiled to himself before handing the flyer to her. Tenten looked over it again by the moonlight.

"Hiashi Hyuga?" she muttered to herself looking at the name under the white eyed man. "What's Neji's last name?"

"Hayashi I think, he's only mentioned it a few times." Naruto shrugged.

"Did he ever mention his father?" Tenten asked curiously.

"Yeah," Naruto sighed smiling looking up at the moon, still lost in his thoughts about his mother. "Awesome guy from what I hear. Neji never really likes to talk about him though. Obvious reasons." Tenten glanced over at two figures only partially visible in the moonlight a little further down the creek. One figure, definitely Lee continued to vigorously wash away while the other figure simply sat there stoicly. Tenten frowned to herself. Neji glanced at the moon for a brief moment before turning his attention back towards his job. In the light, he'd looked different. Tired, lonely and maybe even a bit.

"How about you're family?" Naruto interrupted her thoughts as he quickly turning his attention back to the cans.

"Never knew em," Tenten shrugged. Naruto just nodded handing her the last can to dry.

"Well that about does it." he sighed. "Ready to go?" Tenten looked back at Neji, then towards Naruto and shrugged.

"Sure, why not."

**And that about does it. Please tell me what you thought of it. And remember, suggestions, comments and constructive criticism are always welcome. :D **


	6. Chapter 6

**Well, I figured I'd better update my other stories before y'all hunt me down. :b So, first of all, I want to thank everyone who reviewed! You guys rock! Second, I just want to say thank you for all you're support throughout this whole story! To all of you who gave me advice, suggestions or just said that enjoyed the story. You are rock..._seriously! _Not much else to say except I hope you all enjoy, please review and that comments, suggestions and constructive criticism are always welcome! Now on with the story! :D**

**Disclaimer: I'm not doin it, I'm not...seriously, just sue me Kishi! Sue me! I dare ye! *cough* yes well *cough***

A minute after Tenten and Naruto returned to the bonfire Rock Lee ran up behind them, his hands clenched into fists. "Agh!" he shouted. "I may have beaten me today but I swear next time I shall finish washing my dishes first! Me and my youthful ally Neji shall not be defeated again!"

"There was a contest?" Naruto asked, bluntly staring at the teen who was arguably more hyperactive than him.

"Of course!" Lee yelled throwing his fists into the air dramatically as Neji calmly walked up beside him. Tenten cast Neji what she thought was a quick glance as Lee started a speech about hard work and youth. The white eyed teen silently glance up towards the moon, his long brown hair and white eyes partially illuminated by the orange glow of the fire. He held the position for quite some time and sighed before he finally turned his head towards the girl and raised an eyebrow curiously. Tenten quickly averted her eyes, she must've been starring. She couldn't quite help it though. He was intriguing...for a boy anyway. It didn't help that she felt her face grow a bit warmer. Tenten blamed the fire.

"Hey guys, what'd we miss?" Kiba asked throwing his sack to the ground as he and Saskue walked over.

"Not much," Naruto sighed as Lee continued his speech while simultaneously doing one handed pushups. 'Help me,' the blonde mouthed.

"Where's Shikamaru and…Temari!" Tenten said snapping her fingers upon remembering the other girl's name. "Where are they?"

"Still finishing up," Kiba grinned picking Akamaru back up and scratching his head as he looked back over towards the creek. "It might be a few more hours before they get done." Kiba chuckled looking back at the two dark figures.

"Where should be set these?" Saskue asked looking over at the white haired man with the book while picking up the giant sack.

"Just leave them there for the time being," he answered back lazily. "I'll take care of them later." Saskue nodded and set his bag back down over by Neji's. Tenten glanced at the dark haired Uciha. His mannerisms and attitude were quite similar to Neji in so many ways but his face looked colder, stone cold. Neji's attitude was calm, peaceful and mature. Saskue's seemed to be demanding, challenging and focused. Tenten frowned before Saskue to turned and gave her a curious look. Tenten just gave him a bit more of a lopsided frown as she analyzed him. A small grin broke across Saskue's face. Neji raised his eyebrows before casting the Uciha a quick glare. The other boy just shrugged as if to say 'What?'.

"Um…Kakashi..sir?" Lee spoke up. Everyone turned towards Lee. From the few hours or so that they'd known him they all figured that this attitude was probably not normal for Rock Lee. The white haired man looked up from his book again and Lee pointed over to the far end of Hooverville where Gai was talking to a short, heavier man with a large briefcase and dark suit. Gai was holding up his hands defensively and appeared to be trying to calm the other man down. The small man however, just kept waving his hand in Hooverville's direction. Although it was to dark to see either of there facial expressions one could tell that the fat man was definitely not happy.

"Wait here," Kakashi said calmly narrowing his eyes as he snapped his book shut and wandered over towards Gai.

"What's going on?" Kiba asked turning towards Lee. The boy just shrugged and looked on. By this time it looked like half the population of Hooverville was gathered around the tiny man who had started to back off. He tried to act defiant and shook his fist at the group again and yelled something. Another figure in the crowd yelled back at him. A punch was thrown and there was a distinctive popping sound in the air as the small man stumbled backwards dropping his briefcase. The man dropped to the ground and held his face for a moment before quickly standing up and shaking his fists at the crowd. Someone yelled something back at him and the little man toke off running away as fast as his legs could carry him. Slowly, the crowd began to disperse in two and threes nervously.

"Mister Gai?" Lee asked as his mentor and Kakashi returned. "Is something wrong?" Gai briefly bit his bottom lip and ran a hand through his hair before looking back down at Lee.

"Of course not! We've got everything under control here!" he grinned. "Now! I think it's time you headed off to bed!" Lee saluted him a little unsuredly but quickly corrected his posture and ran off with a nod. "You are free to stay up of course," Gai said looking at the group. "We were going to have some music later but…" he glanced over at Kakashi who shook his head. "But after that I don't really think anyone's in the mood."

"What happened back there?" Naruto asked.

"Nothing really," Gai said with a smile and a light chuckle. "Just some business we had to take care off."

"Thank you," Neji said bowing his head slightly. "But I think we'll just head off for bed as well."

"Then as soon as Lee or Temari comes back, they'll show you to your quarters." Gai said with a quick salute before he walked off. The group sat in silence by the fire as they looked around Hooverville.

"I cannot believe you!" an angry voice rang out from behind the five. Everyone turned to see Temari pushing Shikamaru who was apparently being forced to carry the sack. "You are probably the laziest, most jerkish asshole I've ever met!" she shouted in his face.

"Language…" Shikamaru began to drawl lazily.

"Don't you start with me!" Temari yelled. "Or I will kill you in your sleep." She said in a deathly whisper before storming off. Shikamaru just dropped the sack and lay down on one of the logs that surrounded the fire. Everyone looked at Temari then back towards Shikamaru.

"What?" he asked in annoyance. With a stiff yawn, Kakashi put his book away picked up the four bags, gave a slight nod to the kids

"Um..Sir, before you leave," Neji began as Kakashi paused and turned his head back a bit. "Could you tell us when the next train out of Flint leaves the depot?"

"The Chicago train leave in two days, at four o'clock sharp but they'll probably pull out earlier, you never know with these freighters. Flint isn't a city that takes kindly to train hoppers." He sighed.

"Thank you," Neji said. Kakashi just nodded back and started to walk away.

"Well since we're all together now," Neji sighed as he sat down. "What do you all think?"

"I don't know," Kiba shrugged. "I wouldn't mind living here I guess but you know. I also really wanna catch the train and get out of this city."

"I agree with Kiba," Saskue nodded. Naruto just shuffled his feet. Tenten could tell what he was thinking about.

"I vote we stay here," Naruto said "We have to pull our load but didn't we do that back at the home?" Neji nodded before turning to Shikamaru.

"Whatever," the boy yawned. Neji looked over at Tenten.

"I think we should stay here," she said quickly glancing over at Naruto who gave her an appreciative nod. Neji spied the gesture decided against to keep quite. Instead he just sighed.

"Shikamaru, we're tied, you have to make a decision."

"Why don't you?" the boy challenged. All eyes turned over towards Neji. Neji narrowed his eyes. He swore he saw a quick grin spread over Shikamaru's face.

"Let's try this," Neji sighed. "Tomorrow we'll find all the trains destinations, find out about the place and look for news about the destination in general. Then we can make a decision as to whether or not we still want to go."

"Nice save," Temari's voice said sarcastically as she walked back up to the group. Neji rolled his eyes. "Now, I'm gonna make this quick. Your guys' cabin is over there," she said motioning to one of the cardboard shacks. "Your lucky, we just had a group leave so we've got more free space. Lee sleeps there to so if you have any questions just ask him. Tenten, you're coming with me to the girls cabin." Tenten shrugged as she followed Temari and gave Neji a small wave. Neji just nodded back and gave her a smile. Not like one of Saskue's grin, instead it was warm and calming. Tenten's eyebrows flew up as she continued to follow Temari and shook her head trying to keep the blood from rushing to her cheecks. Neji watched her go before sighing and following the guys to their cabin he gave Saskue a sly smirk. The Uciha just looked at him not knowing what the heck Neji was up to.

**And there you go! Chapter…6, chapter 6! Fells like it's been forever. So anywho, I hope you enjoyed and I know that this chapter just seemed kind of filler-ish but I know what I'm doin with this! So, please tune in again sometime in the near future and thank you for reading! TTYL! :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! I'm back! Sorry for the very long wait! I was tied up with exams on top of exams! School work on top of school work! But I'm back now and hopefully I'll be updating more regularly now! So, I want to give a big thank you to all my reviewers! I know I thank you guys semi regularly but seriously! You are all extremely awesome and dare I say it…Excellent! **

**So! I think this chapter moves the plot along a bit. I've kind of got an idea of how I want to get to get to the ending. We'll see how this turns out! :) Also, you'll probably notice that there is more of a focus on Saskue in this chapter. Well remember when I said that over the course of the story characters would come and go? Well all the little details about his past is me prepping for Saskues 'transition'. Interpret that anyway you want.**

**Secondly, there was something of a romantic progression between Tenten and Neji in this chapter. Then I went back and read the story again and I found out…these two have only known each other for two days. That's not a lot of time to get to know someone much less fall in love with them. So I filled that little moment back under my drafts (oh if I could post a story with all the stuff I cut out of my stories XD) and changed it. Anyway, I think I've ranted long enough. Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoy the chapter!...Right after the disclaimer.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I am not making any money from this story and to my knowledge Kishi is not losing any money from this story. If anything it can be considered a promotional piece for the Naruto franchise although it is not a promotional piece for the Naruto franchise. This story was written without the permission of its rightful owners or the studios and are you still reading this?**

"So how is traveling with five guys working? Are they getting on your nerves yet?" Temari asked from her 'bed' which actually seemed like a normal bed, being made out of actual strong pieces of wood instead of the usual old fruit crates that made up the rest of the town. Tenten just shrugged her shoulders.

"Not really," she smiled back. "It's interesting to say the least."

"Well then you're a better person that I am, I probably would've killed at least one of them by now." Temari laughed placing her hands behind her head.

"Shikamaru's not so bad he's just a little lazy," Tenten grinned laughing along with Temari. "Naruto and Kiba are loud but there fun to be around, Saskue keeps quiet and stays out of everyone's way but he seems like a pretty cool guy." Tenten sighed before silence set in.

"And Neji?" Temari asked not hiding her coy grin.

"Neji? He's weird, protective and likes to do things by the book way to much,"

"By the book?"

"Yeah, his book, but…" Tenten stopped as her thoughts turned to Neji. His smile, her conversations with him, the warm look in his eyes. She gave another soft sigh "I mean I've only spent like two days with him but…he's definitely the most 'interesting' of the group. He's pretty cool I guess." She shrugged with a smile. Temari just nodded back at her before smirking to herself.

"So what was that little brawl outside earlier?" Tenten asked trying to change the subject. Temari's smirk vanished. Silence overtook the room for a few moments before Temari finally spoke up.

"It was nothing. Don't worry about it." She said quietly before giving her a grin. "Try to get some sleep."

"I think a roach just ran past over hand."

"I'm sure it did Naruto, I'm sure it did," Saskue groaned rolling over in his 'bed'.

"I'm serious!" Naruto shot back sitting up and glaring "Remember when Kiba slept on the floor back at the home?"

"Naruto!" Kiba groaned. He did not need to be reminded of that incident right now.

"A roach crawled up your ear and when the adults tried to pull it out with a pair of tweezers all they got were its hind legs," Naruto yelled pointing a finger at Kiba. Saskue rolled his eyes and glanced over at Kiba who had crossed his arms. "And then for the next hour they had to pin you down while you kept shouting "My legs! My legs! Why have they done this to my legs!"

"I did not!" Kiba shouted back scrunching his face as if to say 'you'd yell to if you had a roach screaming in your head'.

"Did to! Saskue back me up on this one!" Upon getting no response from the other boy Naruto frowned before shrugging. "My point is, if we had roaches back at the home we probably have some out here…and this place smells like old fruit."

"They don't seem to mind," Kiba said with a tired chuckle motioning towards Shikamaru who was sprawled over his bed motionless and Neji who was silently lying on his side.

"Mr. Pein's shed would look like a real fancy house out here," Naruto yawned scanning the ground looking for any moving objects before laying back down and being careful to keep his hands off of the floor all evidence of his argument with the Inuzuka gone.

"How would you know what there shed looked like?" Kiba asked skeptically as Akamaru curled up on his stomach. "The last foster family I was with wouldn't let me use the water pump or go to the bathroom without an escort."

"Probably because you have a tendency to turn living rooms into level 3 disaster areas…and that's when you were six." Saskue sighed.

"Oh yuck it up duck butt," Kiba said with a glare before turning back to Naruto. "So why where you in there shed anyway?"

"Long story," Naruto said rolling over.

"I think we've got time," Kiba replied with his doggish grin. Naruto sighed but started the story.

"Okay so you know Hidan right? He wasn't just a brat he was a total sadist. I can understand not liking strange kids in your home but Hidan was just…ugh," Naruto coughed. "Everything that went wrong he would blame on me. Heck! Hidan would do stuff just to pin on me!...and Mr. Pein would believe him! Broken dish? Naruto did it! Cookie's gone? Naruto ate it! A certain article of clothing is missing and mysteriously appeared on the flagpole down the street? Naruto did it!" he finished with a huff. Kiba just laughed.

"…So did you?"

"No! Anyway, one day I wake up with the smell of rubber in my nose and I find Hidan standing at the entrance of my door and he tells me how he was able to push a number 2 pencil up my nose, all the way up to the R, which would explain why I felt like something pushed the back of my eyeball. I yell at him and he says 'Well punk this is my house and I was you to get the blankity blank out right this blankity instant.' So I slugged him in the face with the table lamp."

"Don't you think that you might be over glorifying this story just a tad?" Kiba said.

"Quiet!"

"So did you beat him?"

"Yeah, for about two and a half minutes," Naruto answered. "But Hidan was like fifteen. So despite my efforts he started beating me to a pulp, and then his parents come in _and_ _then_ he says that I provoked him and caused his asthma to start acting up and they believe him! _And then _they make me apologize and lock me in the shed saying they'll be sending me back to the orphanage in the morning. So, I broke out of the shed and here I am!"

"And you decided not to go back to the home?" Saskue asked skeptically. Naruto quickly glanced down at his suitcase.

"Nah," he said "Nothing ever happens around there. Being on the run is a lot more fun." He said with a grin. Kiba laughed.

"I guess I can't blame you for running," he nodded.

"You said it. Older brothers are nothing but trouble." Naruto responded before silence fell over the room again.

"No, not all of them," Saskue said. Naruto and Kiba looked over at him curiously but Saskue just rolled the other way and closed his eyes.

"What's eating him?" Naruto whispered. Kiba just shrugged.

* * *

"Ggggoooooooodddd morning!" a loud voice rang though the air threatening to bring the entire shack down. "Is it not a _Youthful _morning?" Quickly, five figures bolted out of bed like they'd always done at the home.

"What the…?" Naruto asked running his eyes.

"A youthful morning it is!" Rock Lee shouted from beside the five.

"What time is it?" Shikamaru yawned.

"Five A.M!" Gai shouted. "Sorry if that's a little earlier than you all are used to but like I said! We all pull our weight around here and we've got some chores for you to do!" Neji, who along with Saskue seemed to be the only one who was partially awake, stepped forward.

"What do you need us to do?"

"Neji," Kiba whined.

"Naruto, Kiba, Saskue! You three will go with Lee here to clean some of the shacks! We can't have them rotting or growing moldy!" he said. Lee just saluted before running off while Kiba and Naruto stumbled after him. Saskue and Neji just traded looks. Neji shrugged and Saskue just sighed before rushing after them.

"And what are we doing?" Shikamaru asked boredly.

"You and Neji with be going with Tenten and Temari to help collect food!" Gai said as the three stepped outside to find Temari and Tenten waiting for them.

"So she does the cooking?" Shikamaru asked attempting a smirk. Of course since Shikamaru has just woken up it came out looking more like he had gas more than anything else.

"'She' gathers the food," Temari shot back "And 'she' caught any meat you had in your food last night." A small smile very quickly passed over Neji's face before he nodded in agreement. Tenten grinned over at her friend.

"Lead the way," she smiled. Temari nodded and the four headed over the creek behind Hooverville and towards the woods.

"Shikamaru," Neji said falling behind the two girls and slowing his pace. The other boy looked at him tiredly. "I forgot to ask you last night. There was a small brawl outside the town yesterday night. A short man with a briefcase came got into a shouting match with Gai. Any idea what it was all about?" Shikamaru's face quickly hardened. Neji could tell that he was quickly running different scenarios through his head.

"What happened?" he asked at last? "Did the man just leave?" Neji shook his head.

"No, the whole town and chased him off." Shikamaru just nodded and sighed.

"The man was probably some government official. Not all officials endorse or even allow these kinds of cities. The man was probably here to see if they were up to code or to try and close them down. Either way…" Shikamaru let the sentence trail off. Neji just sighed and nodded knowing what that implied.

"Come on guys!" Tenten yelled back at the two "Hurry up!"

* * *

"So what's the train's final destination?" Saskue asked as he rubbed the inside of a hut with a piece of sand paper.

"The train's final stop is Atlanta but it stops in Chicago and Memphis as well." The woman beside him answered. Saskue looked at her. She was tall for a woman, with black hair that extended down her back and a pair of soft red eyes. "Why do you ask? Do you need something?" she asked friendlily. Saskue shook himself, realizing that he must've been staring.

"Uhh, you have very nice eyes Miss…?" he asked in an attempt to keep his cool demeanor. He swore he heard Naruto snicker.

"Yuhi. Kurenai Yuhi," the woman smiled. "And thank you. Your eyes are quite nice as well."

"Thank you," Saskue said his face turning a bit red as he turned his attention back to the wall in front of him as he tried to ignore the snickers of Kiba and Naruto.

"They almost…never mind." Kurenai waved her hand dismissively as if that piece of information wasn't that important. "Did you have any family members by any chance?"

"No," Saskue answered back in a monotonous voice "They're all dead."

"All of them?

"I'm sure everyone but my brother is dead but I haven't seen him in seven years."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's not important. Have you ever been to any of those cities?" he asked changing the subject.

"I've ridden the rails to all of them," Kurenai sighed "And you may think things are a little bit better down the line…But they're singing the same sad song all over this country. You to young to be riding the rails like this." Saskue just scoffed.

"You know? He's been getting pretty ornery since we left the home," Kiba said.

"Eh, probably because he was on the run a lot when he was younger, his parents were in trouble with the law or something. Being out and about like this must be brining back some bad memories," Naruto shrugged. "Just give mister doom and gloom his space, he'll come around."

* * *

"And what's this one?" Tenten asked pointing towards an animal that had been caught in one of Temari's traps.

"That's a dead squirrel…at least I think it's a squirrel," Temari shrugged squatting down to get a better look at the creature. Tenten sat down beside her before casting a glance back at Neji and Shikamaru.

"What do they keep whispering about?" Tenten asked as the two boys who were talking to each other in hushed tones while trying to remain inconspicuous gathered their share of food. Quickly, Temari looked up her sternly while placing a hand on her shoulder.

"They're just trying to keep you safe Tenten," she said quietly. Tenten glanced at her suspiciously with a raised eyebrow.

"How do you…?"

"No come on, I'll teach you how to skin roadkill."

"Coooooolllll."

**Bud Not Buddy was such an awesome book XD I really love the works by Christopher Paul Curtis, 1.5 percent of my childhood right there. :b Anywho, thanks for reading! Remember, comments, questions, and constructive criticism are always welcome! Until next time!**


	8. Chapter 8

**I'm alllliiiivveee! Very sorry about the long waiting period. School, life, baseball, cartoons, you know the works. But I'm back now with another update! Once again, I'd like to thank all my reviewers! You guys rock! **

**Now, one of my reviewers pointed out that yes, officially it probably is spelled Sasuke not Saskue. So, I though about going back through the story and changing it but…I really didn't feel like it XD Nor did I have the time. But thank you for pointing that out :b I'd also like to briefly reinforce the point that Neji and Tenten just met each other about three days ago so we're probably not going to get to any romantic stuff…yet! Otherwise, it end up being like Thor, and that dude's got problems. But you will definitely be seeing some progress between the two, friendship wise, or romantically, however you want to interpret it XD Anywho, here's the next chapter! I hope you enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I already did a long and pretentious disclaimer so know I'll just go with the old standby! Read my lips! I…Do…Not…Own!**

"So, did you guys find anything out?" Kiba asked as Tenten handed him a tin can full of stew and a beat up spoon.

"We talked with Gai but all we found out was that the train's final destination is Atlanta. He kept trying to ask about where we were all from. I really didn't want to tell him that we were runaways so I decided it would be best if we just kept quiet." Shikamaru shrugged, laying down on what had apparently become 'his log' while Kiba eyed the 'meat' chunks in the stew suspiciously. "What about you guys?"

"It's got three stops Chicago, Memphis and Atlanta. This is the last train for about a month and a half so we either take this one or we're walking wherever we want to go." Naruto explained as Kiba examined the spoon before casually tossing it aside and bringing the can up to his mouth.

"Officially, the train pulls out tomorrow morning at four o clock but like the old guy told us last night…they could pull out early." Naruto continued trying to ignore Kiba.

"I don't see why." Kiba shrugged setting the can down by his feet for Akamaru. "I understand they've got schedules to keep but should 4 in the morning…"

"It's because train hopping isn't exactly legal," Temari interrupted walking up to the group. "You're trespassing on private property or something." Temari sighed looking over at Tenten who just shrugged casually.

"Federal property actually," Shikamaru said not bothering to look up. Temari ignored him and continued.

"If you're young enough they send you off to an orphanage, but technically they could just send you off to prison. There's so many people arrested on this charge every year that the police can get away with it quite easily. It's probably not intentional but there's really no way for them to do a background check and they definitely don't take your word for it. So, if you look like your anywhere near eighteen…" she sighed before adding "like my brothers," with a quiet mumble. Silence spread around the group. Kiba and Naruto just looked at each other uncomfortably, Tenten cast a concerned glance at her friend and Neji and Saskue tried there best to simply look in another direction and not make the situation any more awkward that it already was, when it was Shikamaru of all people who piped up.

"If they're anything like you, I wouldn't worry about either of them." He yawned nonchalantly placing his hands behind his head and closing his eyes. Temari raised an eyebrow.

"I don't whether I should take that as a compliment or as just a smart remark." She said trying to decide what 'look' to shoot him before settling on a simple glare. Kiba let out a doggish laugh before Temari silenced him by turning her glare in his direction.

"Temari!" Lee shouted suddenly rushing up to the blonde teen's side. "Gai would like to request you're assistance right away!"

"Please do not tell me that he set fire to cabin three again?" Temari groaned.

"Okay, I won't tell you but I do not think that shall change much," Lee said taking another look nervous behind him and towards the rising spiral of smoke.

"Alright let's go," Temari sighed. "Excuse me for a minute." She said to the group before quickly leaping to her feet and rushing off with Lee.

"Well, what do you think?" Saskue asked looking over at Neji trying to appear as uninterested as possible.

"I think it would be wisest," Neji began before he paused casting a look around the circle. Naruto and Kiba were looking on casually, Naruto's being a bit more intensive than the dog boy. Shikamaru was probably sleeping, Saskue was looking indifferent and Tenten was sitting on the ground resting her head on her hands and looking up at him expectantly. "For us to try and take the train all the way down to Atlanta. We can still gather some supplies here in Flint so we won't have to stop on the trip to beg or try and scrounge something up. It may not be any better down there and it may even be worse but we'll never know until we try now will we?" he finished with calm confidence. Kiba's casual look gave way to a dog like smirk.

"I'm with you on that one," he laughed as Akamaru barked in agreement. Saskue nodded and even Shikamaru opened his eyes for a brief second to nod his head. Tenten smiled letting Neji know she agreed before glancing over at Naruto. Neji followed her gaze and looked over at Naruto who was nervously shuffling his feet.

"If anyone has any objects to the plan," Neji continued continuing to look in Nartuo's direction and standing up "Now's your time to speak." Naruto looked down at his feet for awhile before looking up and giving a confident smile.

"Don't worry about me, the plan sounds perfect," he said shooting Neji a thumbs up.

"It's settled then," Neji nodded. "We'll take the train. Now, we'd all better get our possessions organized before tonight so we'll be ready to go early tomorrow morning." The boys nodded and headed to there respective huts except for Naruto who simply held up his suitcase and grinned.

"Show off," Kiba laughed rushing off to catch up with Saskue.

"Change of heart?" Tenten whispered to him as she started to head for her own shack. Naruto was silent for a brief moment before he sighed.

"Well I can't really keep chasing an 'imaginary' parent just because I have a good feeling about it. I just...have to keep moving." He finished with a sigh. Tenten just nodded sympathetically before deciding to let the boy have some time along and continued towards the shack.

* * *

"Would you please quit staring," Saskue asked, clearly annoyed as another pair of teenagers quickly averted there eyes and walked away muttering to each other. Saskue scoffed under his breath. The people of this town were really getting annoying, he couldn't wait to get out of there, away from all the odd looks he was getting.

"Looks like your quite popular around here," Kiba smiled walking back inside the shack. Saskue just scoffed.

"Sorry about that," a casual voice apologized in a carefree tone.

"Kakashi, right?" Saskue replied rigidly, turning to look at the white haired, masked adult. The man nodded and gave what appeared to be a smile not looking up from a blue backed romance novel he was carrying.

"You just look a lot like someone we know, don't let it bother you," Kakashi sighed waving a hand dismissively.

"So, I keep hearing," Saskue huffed, his face still blank and expressionless. "I think I deserve to know who this guy is."

"Hmm?" Kakashi asked finally looking up from his book, obviously not expecting another question. "Oh he's just a business man. Sells anything to anyone for low prices. Of course selling 'anything' puts him on opposing sides of the law so we ask no questions and pretend like he doesn't exist and in turn he does his business hear quietly and then leaves. He looks a lot like you, same raven dark hair, blank expression and even your eyes look a lot like his." Saskue frowned and folded his hands. A dead silence hung in the air, the only sound that could be heard was Kakashi turning the pages of his book.

"When does this…man come to town?" Saskue finally asked.

"He's a train hopper, he comes around every time the Atlanta train does. Usually around 3:30 p.m depending on how late or early the train is."

"Where's the depot," Saskue asked quickly in an urgent tone, determination written across his face.

"About a mile and a half south of here, wh…" Kakashi stopped mid sentence as he watched Saskue quickly run off towards the depot as fast as his feet could carry him.

* * *

Upon entering the shack that she shared with Temari, Tenten looked at the few items beside her bed, two knives, a small washcloth and about ten cents. She put the knives back into there sheaths and puts her belongings in her pocket. Satisfied, she turned around and walked out of the shack.

"Tenten," an eerily calm voice said. Tenten jumped and spun around to see Neji leaning up against the door.

"Jeez Neji, say something when you sneak up someone like that," Tenten sighed placing her hands on her hips. Neji just looked at her before tilting his head slightly. Tenten raised an eyebrow as Neji's white eyes scanned her. "What?" she asked finally.

"You and Naruto," Neji said. "You two seem to be having some silent conversations every time we discuss our plans. Mind telling me what's going on?" he finished sounding a little to curious, jealous even. Tenten averted her eyes and rubbed a hand behind her head.

"Well…" she began as Neji looked on with interest. "Neji, I know you're the leader of this little brigade and I know you've taken it as your job to watch out for all of us and you do your job well…but…this is more of a personal matter for Naruto, a family matter. He's got some personal things to deal with. So, I'd rather you didn't force me to reveal this without his consent." She finished calmly looking him straight in the eyes. Neji blinked once, before slowly, a calm and knowing smile formed on his face. Slowly, he calmly raised a hand and gently set it on Tenten's shoulder before giving her a single nod and walked off. Tenten was left standing silently by herself for a minute before Naruto walked up beside her.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

"I told him that I wasn't going to reveal the reason that you were hesitating, then he went completely insane, smiled at me and made human contact. Tell me, has hell frozen over or is it just me?" Naruto just raised and eyebrow before breaking out in a wide grin.

"Loyalty and respect are two things Neji values very highly in a person but from the sound of things he must be really comfortable around you. It was about a month before Neji even looked in my general direction." He said giving her a punch to the shoulder. Tenten's eyes widened slightly as she turned to watch the teen stoically walk away.

* * *

Saskue quickly bounded over a group of bushes and continued to rush towards the rail road track before a hand reached out from behind a tree and pulled him back with lighting speed.

"Saskue? What are you doing here?" A befuddled Gai whispered quietly.

"I need to see this 'business' man," Saskue said impatiently and a little two loudly. Gai immediately shushed before eyeing his suspiciously.

"Fine," he sighed at last. "But keep quiet and lay low until the train arrives." Saskue looked at him crossly but followed Gai into some large shrubs where four other men from Hooverville looked up quietly. Gai just gave them a silent thumbs up and they nodded before turning there attention back towards the railroad track. Before long the group heard the loud shrill whistle of the train.

A group of men walked up to the track and waited patiently as the train rushed into the depot and slowly ground to a halt before coming to rest in the train yard. All of the men were dressed like is semi official clothes, with long brown coats even though it was still August.

"Who are they?" Saskue asked silently.

"The railroad police," Gai replied not taking his eyes off of the train. "Government officials hired by the rail road company. They're here to pick up the people who hitched a ride and haul them off to prison or off to the orphanage."

"So what do we do?"

"We watch and wait," Gai answered. The group stayed concealed behind the bushes for awhile as the group of men kept watching the individual cars for any signs of people. After a couple of minutes the group split up and started to head towards the first and last cars.

"They're splitting up to check more cars at once to give any free loaders less time to escape?" Saskue asked. Gai just nodded.

"And to give anyone who would try to help these 'freeloaders' less time to get them out of there. They always pick up on some of our tricks sooner or later." Gai said before his eyes narrowed. "But not all of them." He said pointing to a red circle painted onto one of the cars. "That's his symbol. Near the center of the train, the last place they'll check." Gai explained picking up a stone and emerging from the bushes. Slowly, he took aim and threw it as hard as he could towards the door. The stone hit with a audible clang but the men, being a little to far away, took no notice.

Silently, the car door creaked open. Well as silently as could be expected. Heavy steel train doors opening as you might have guessed, is not the most subtle sound in the world.

Two men emerged, each of them was wearing a large, strangely pattered over coat. The raven haired man in front stared out for a moment before jumping out of the train car lifting two large suitcases. Another man, presumably his partner, emerged a second afterwards carrying four suitcases. The pair moved as swiftly and silently as they could across the open ground that separated the train from the forest. Unfortunately, they weren't swift enough.

One of the cops spotted the larger man and with a sharp cry of "Stop Police!" rushed at him with the other three turning towards the source of the commotion and quickly following there friend. As the cop closed in the tall man swiftly spun around once while swinging two of his suitcases with apparent ease and great force. The cop fell to the ground gasping for breath and clutching his face where he'd been hit. His friend quickly stooped down to help him while the other two continued to chase.

The black haired man stopped as he spotted Gai before he and his partner quickly made a bee line for the group. Gai nodded towards the pair as he led them though the woods before one of them tossed Gai a suitcase and increased his speed. As the chase continued, it became apparent that because that they weren't that well suited with the terrain the officials wouldn't be able to catch someone who was just about as fast as them. So finally, the cops slowed to a halt, shook there heads and stared walking back.

"Can we…stop now?" Saskue huffed, a little out of breath. Keeping up with six grown men who were fast enough to outrun the Flint Police was no easy task. He'd been sprinting the past hundred yards or so and was only just able to keep up with them.

"Just a big longer," Gai said back to him, still in a hushed tone before waving his hand and guiding the group through yet another set of trees. The group finally slowed to a halt and the two men set there bags down.

"Finally," the tall man groaned. "I was beginning to think we'd never get to Flint." He finished flashing a dangerous grin to his partner. The other man sighed and nodded as if to agree.

"Good to see the two of you again," Gai nodded to the pair. "I think it's best if we stay here until nightfall, after the little escapade that just happened here." The other two nodded before the group sat down under the shade of the many large forest trees..

"Well, well, well," the tall man upon spying Saskue. "A little pressed for help are yo…" the man stopped and eyed the boy again. Saskue felt like time itself was slowing down as the other man lifted his head. So far, he'd only been able to see the man's hair, but now that he had a better look at him he instantly knew. The hair, the red eyes, the expression he wore…

"Itachi…"

* * *

"Two men, train hoppers, accompanied by several unidentified suspects."

"What are you getting at here Aoba?" Kakashi asked in an utterly bored tone not even bothering to look up from his book. Neji stared at the four visitors with his usual blank and calm expression.

"Detectives," he muttered before glancing over at Shikamaru who nodded his head. The two were both thinking the same thing. 'This could turn ugly pretty fast.'

"You know what I'm getting at here Hatake," the man named Aoba said fiercely. "These two are dangerous men, wanted by the FBI. I'm telling you that if we find out that you've been lying to us we can put you away for a long, long time."

"And I'm telling you that we haven't seen them," Kakashi said in a scarily calm voice snapping his book shut and glaring at in Aoba's direction. "So I suggest you move along." As if one cue some of Hoovervilles citizens emerged from the background and stood by Kakashi sending the cops menacing looks. Aoba narrowed his eyes and glared back before finally turning towards Kakashi again.

"Well if you see them," he said taking out a small card and handing it over to Kakashi. "You know where to report it to. You're lucky you're a retired Army Lieutenant Hatake" he whispered before pulling his head back and walking off.

"You look a little nervous," Tenten said from her position beside Neji while watching the four walk out of the town. The teen just shook his head.

"This place doesn't seem safe anymore," he said with a rare concerned look washing over his face before being covered again by his calm, collected, mask. "We need to go. The sooner we leave, the better." He finished looking towards the late afternoon sun.

**And that's the latest chapter. Once again, sorry for the wait and the focus on Saskue. Like I said in the last chapter, ever ones gonna get there little spotlight :b Next chapter, Hell breaks loose. Well, that's what I've got planned anyway. So! Thanks for reading and I'll see you soon…I hope! I know it's quite cruel of my to make you guys wait so long, and I apologize, the next chapter is already in outline, I'll get it up as soon as I've update all my others!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Let me just get this out of the way. I really have no excuse for this late chapter, it seems like summer is actually busier than the school year if that's even possible. (Notice a pattern in my authors notes?) But no I haven't given up on this story! So, I'm back with a whole new chapter! We really don't see a whole lot of action until the end of the chapter but hey, at least we get to it. Anyway, I hope you enjoy and once again, I am so, so sorry for making you wait so long. To all the readers, and especially the reviewers, you are awesome! **

**Disclaimer: Not related, ownership is not mine, it's late and I'm wondering why I'm writing this. **

Gai peaked his head out from behind a tree and looked towards the skies Hooverville. "Okay, there's smoke and I count three fires, we're clear." He said quietly while motioning for the rest of the group to follow him. Saskue frowned to himself. A million scenarios had ran through his head when he'd seen Itachi's face, both good and bad. What would his brother do? Break down into tears? Wave casually hello? Yell Hallelujah? Would he even recognize him? Anything seemed possible, Itachi had opened his mouth and then…Gai had hushed them and insisted that they be quiet as he rushed them all back towards Hooverville silently. Suddenly, a figure popped out of one of the small huts and nodded in Gai's direction. The group breathed a sigh of relief as they stretched there legs before casually walking back into the 'city'. Now finally, they could talk freely.

"Did anyone come looking for us?" Gai asked as Kakashi came strolling up to them.

"Aoba stopped by but it's nothing we need to worry about," he replied with a smile crossing his face before he looked over and nodded in Itachi and Kisame's direction. "Any news from Chicago?" he asked sternly.

"The riots are still going on," Itachi spoke up, in a completely calm and cold voice. His voice was smooth and collected as if a 6 hour ride in a horrible smelling box car hadn't phased him in the least. It was also cold, cold as ice. Just as Saskue remembered it.

"Still?" Kakashi asked with mild curiosity.

"Heh, some people just don't like the idea of being cut out of there job, so they take it out on there former employers." Itachi's tall partner laughed, stretching his neck and setting the suitcases down. "How about you? How's the little card board jungle doing?"

"Oh you know," Kakashi shrugged quickly glancing over at Saskue before continuing. "About as well as can be expected. We've have some trouble with the feds though so don't be surprised if when you come back around next time and we're not here." He finished with a smile. Kakashi had said that neither of them asked questions but to Saskue this seemed for like workers exchanging business information. "Now enough of the pleasantries, lets get down to business, what have you brought this time?"

"Glad you asked," the tall man said with a grin as he fished a small key out of his cloak pocket and unlocked the small padlock on one of his suitcases.

"We restocked on medical goods with our supplier back in Memphis. Anything that your friends over at Saint Johns down town might need we got." Itachi began motioning to the various bottles inside the first case.

"Itachi," Saskue spoke up. It was in a meeker voice than he would've liked but he was, as he'd admit later down the road, scared, the first time he spoke to his brother again. It didn't even seem like his older brother remembered him. To him, he might just be some kid who had tagged along with Gai and the others. Itachi paused quickly and looked down at Saskue. He motioned for him to come closer. Saskue cautiously and slowly came forward until Itachi reached down and casually flicked Saskue on the forehead.

"You're certainly grown up haven't you?" He asked as Saskue rubbed the spot where Itachi had flicked him. "Unfortunately, I'm busy, we'll talk later, okay?" he asked before turning back to the others as they moved in around the various suitcases leaving Saskue on the outer circle. The teen just blinked once as he continued to touch the spot on his forehead. Slowly, he turned around and started to walk back towards the various shacks to find the others as a genuine smile split his face. It seemed that his brother hadn't changed a bit.

* * *

"Suns going down," Shikamaru said casually striking a piece of flint again as the sparks jumped from the rocks and onto the wood. Small flames slowly formed in the pit and Shikamaru leaned down towards it and began to blow gently, trying to coax the growing fire. "What time do you think it is?" he asked.

"Does it look like I have a watch?" Temari replied leaning up against one of the logs. Shikamaru just shrugged and continued tending to the fire. Temari sighed. "Eight o clock…maybe. Why do you ask? Planning you schedule for tomorrow?"

"He wants to know how soon he should hit the sack," Kiba said with a wide grin. "He needs his twelve hours of sleep every night."

"Of course," Temari said rolling her eyes. "How could I forget? In that case you'd better get to sleep fast. The official time that the train pulls out tomorrow is 4:30 but you never know with these freighters."

"Four thirty?" Naruto and Kiba groaned in unison. Tenten just laughed.

"Oh what're you smiling about?" Naruto asked grumpily.

"Well I woke up before any of you did today." She smiled. Neji just turned his head back towards the forest, and in the direction of the railroad.

"We should all get to bed a little early tonight if we plan on getting onto that train tomorrow." He said calmly. "Especially if we're not sure what time the train pulls out."

"Your probably right," Shikamaru sighed getting up and stretching before looking down at the red and orange flames. "And I just got the fire going to. Man tomorrows gonna be such a pain."

"Umm…quick question." Naruto piped up turning to Tenten. "How exactly do you go to the bathroom on a train? I mean I seriously doubt that they'd stop and wait for you." He finished sheepishly.

"You're basically in a box for about thirty six hours with the only exit being the doorway of the car. You do the math." Temari deadpanned. Naruto just groaned again.

"Well I'm going to go get some shut eye for tomorrow. I'll see ya guys!" Kiba laughed, getting up and walking towards his small shack.

"I should probably do the same," Naruto shrugged.

"There's something I never thought I'd hear you say," Shikamaru yawned as he leaned up against one of the logs.

"Hey! I care about getting my beauty rest okay?" Naruto snapped.

"If I recall, Iruka did everything shot of tying you down at night. He had to lock your windows and door every night to keep you from getting out when you first arrived at the orphanage." Neji said simply. Tenten snickered a little as Naruto's face fell.

"Haha," he mumbled. "I'll be going to my card board shack now." As he disappeared the four turned there attention elsewhere. The cold night air started to settle it and everyone inched a little closer to the fire to stay warm. They sat in a simple circle silence for a while just watching the flames as a man with a mouth organ started to play over by one of the other bonfires.

"He's pretty good," Tenten said quietly as the notes drifted over in there direction.

"One of the best," Temari nodded.

"What's he doing out here then?" Tenten asked curiously.

"Well he's up from the UP,* so…" Temari sighed letting the sentence drift off.

"Sooo…" Tenten asked motioning for Temari to go on.

"It's illegal for any black man to own property up in the UP so he couldn't exactly find a good paying job. He decided to take his chances down here and he ended up in Hooverville." Shikamaru said looking over at Temari who just nodded half heartedly.

"It's the way of the world," she shrugged placing another log into the fire and stroking it with a stick just as Saskue started walking over.

"Hey Uchiha," Tenten greeted. "What's up?" Neji turned towards Saskue, his face a bit tighter than before, but the boy didn't seem to notice. He had his head down and a blank expression on his face.

"Hmm? Oh…it's nothing. My uh…brother's here though and I'm just waiting for him to finish his business. It's taking quite a long time though."

"Brother?" Shikamaru asked curiously leaning up a bit.

"Yep," Saskue shrugged casually, not bothering to look up. The group suddenly became silent again as no one was quite sure exactly what to say. Finally after what seemed like ages, a larger figure came drifting calmly over. Saskue turned his head as he saw his brother approaching.

"You know, maybe we should go and see if the mouth organ man knows 'Goodnight Irene'" Tenten said suddenly getting up.

"Or we could get some sleep," Neji taking her arm. Tenten just pouted before sighing and heading towards her cabin.

"I'll see everyone tomorrow morning then," she sighed. Neji and Shikamaru just traded nods and headed over towards there shack as Itachi sat down. Temari looked over at the two and placed a few more logs into it before silently getting up and walking away. The brothers just sat in silence for a few more minutes until at last, Itachi turned to Saskue.

"So, how was your life?"

Slowly, Temari drifted away from the fire and towards the boy's cabin before watching the two begin to talk from a distance.

"I guess its' time for me to check in to," Shikamaru yawned. "Night Neji, Temari," he said nodding in the girls direction.

"That's it?" she asked. Shikamaru paused and turned back around.

"What's it?" he replied.

"Well not to sound too sentimental," Temari said rolling her eyes. "But I actually enjoyed your little stay here. I thought you did to. That would seem to warrant more that a nod wouldn't it?"

"I'm going to be around tomorrow right," Shikamaru said with a grin. Temari just scoffed.

"Believe me, you're not going to have much time tomorrow. You are either on that train on time or you are going to get left in the dust." Temari said.

"Ah," Shikamaru said sheepishly rubbing the back of his head tiredly. "Well then…" he shrugged before laying his arms around her and pulling her for a quick hug. "Thanks, it's…been fun hanging out with you." He finished with a smile on his face. Temari just stood still, a bit dazed.

"To sentimental?" Shikamaru asked.

"Uh…no, no it's just uh, well it's been real." Temari finished with a genuine smile.

"I'll see you later then," Shikamaru smiled back as he started to head inside the shack. Temari just stood outside silently as she watched his figure vanish.

"Hmm," Neji sighed, mostly to himself. "That's the most effort that I've ever seen him put into something. Either you two became really good friends or you're a lot more violent than he says." Temari just smirked.

"Good luck out there tomorrow fearless leader. Take care of everyone. Especially, Tenten, K?" she finished with a smile. Neji returned her gesture and nodded before Temari started back towards her Cabin.

Neji leaned up against the side of the shack, being careful not to put to much weight against it lest the entire side collapse. It had been almost two hours, he guessed, since Itachi and Saskue had started talking and finally the two had gotten up and parted. Saskue drifted sleepily towards the shack before he spied Neji by the entrance.

"Anything you want to tell me?" he asked.

"A bit forward aren't you?" Saskue replied a bit annoyed.

"Knowing you, I've learned that it never hurts to ask." Neji said closing his eyes calmly.

"Well…" Saskue sighed. "Your right, I was hoping to let everyone know tomorrow morning but from what Itachi's told me, we may now all be together on that train tomorrow as a full group."

"Well?" Neji asked.

"I've decided that I'm going to go with my brother and his partner. They're going to get off in Chicago and head for New York City." He sighed. "I know you're going to think I'm crazy but. He's the only family I have left now. If I don't go with him I may never see him again. Especially with our current plan." He finished before a quiet air overtook the two. Neji sighed and opened his eyes before starting off into space. Saskue looked at his feet before crossing his arms and waiting for a response.

"Family comes first, I get it," Neji said nodding. "You can tell the rest of the group tomorrow. I know we may have had a few disagreements along the line but I wish you nothing but the best." He said extending his hand to shake. Saskue gave his own trademark smirk and firmly took Neji's hand.

"Thanks," he said with the smirk plastered firmly a crossed his face. "By the way, what do you mean by disagreements? I thought we got along rather nicely…well we got along okay…at least we didn't kill each other."

"Oh, you know," Neji said, his own smirk forming on his face. "There was that little incident last night with Tenten."

"That's what that was about? I think you're starting to get a little territorial," Saskue replied.

"And I think you're starting to sound like Kiba. Plus, you have such an amazing track record with women." Neji returned sarcastically. Saskue just laughed. "Now come on, let's get some sleep."

* * *

As soon as the man screamed Neji, Shikmaru and Saskue all shot to there feet and were looking out the door within moments with Naruto and Kiba following groggily behind.

"What's going on?" someone yelled.

"Get moving! They're trying to sneak out early!" The first man yelled again. The voice came closer to the group as Gai suddenly appeared in the faint moonlight. "Make sure you have your things and go!" he yelled again. The group quickly checked there pockets again before running across the grass to another shack.

"Oi, Naruto!" a familiar voice called. The blonde turned around just in time to see Rock Lee toss his suitcase to him.

"Thanks!" Naruto called to him as Rock Lee just nodded and gave him a thumbs up that was somehow visible even in the dead of night.

"Tenten," Neji yelled knocking on the door. "We have to go!"

"Where we're you guys?" Tenten asked appearing beside the group.

"Where we're we? Where we're you?" Kiba asked with a yawn.

"I was halfway to the forest before I remembered, oh yeah, I'm traveling with a group this time," Tenten shrugged as the six took off through town and towards the forest that separated the village and the railroad.

"Your late," a cold voice said as the group reached the trees.

"We've been waiting for you for some time," another voice chuckled.

"Sorry brother," Saskue huffed and they continued to run through the forest. Gradually, more figures started to appear around them all heading towards the same place. Soon it seemed like the forest was filled with them. Men and boys of every size heading off to the railroad. This wouldn't have been a problem if the forest hadn't been nearly pitch black. Even when there eyes had adjusted to the darkness with all the other people around Tenten lost her footing at least once on a tree root. Quickly, Neji took a hold of her shoulders and pulled her back up.

"Thanks," she said, breathing heavily. "How can you see in this light?"

"Something about some Mendel guy and his ancestry." Shikamaru drawled.

"Huh?"

"His eyes give him better vision for some reason." Shikamaru shrugged. Even in the darkness he hadn't seemed to lose his sarcastic tone. Neji glared at him but of course Shikamaru couldn't see it through the dark.

"Hey Neji?"

"Yes Kiba?"

"I think Naruto just ran into a tree."

"I'll get him," Saskue said quickly falling back and helping his friend to his feet. Neji turned his head and Saskue just motioned him forward. "Go!" he yelled. Neji nodded, a completely useless gesture in the dark, and continued running towards the railroad with the rest of the gang following closely behind. Finally, the group came to a halt. The men in front of them had suddenly stopped running and were now standing stock still. The entire area was silent. It was too early for the birds to be out, no cackling fires could be heard, it sounded like no one even dared to breathe. The only sound at all that could be heard was that of the train hissing as black smoke poured from the smoke stack into the night sky.

Neji and the other wormed there way to the front of the crowd and quickly found out the reason for the silence. In front of the train stood eight cops and four cars with the words Flint Police Department printed on them. The only weapons they had were billy clubs but they all had cold hard looks on there faces ready to stop anyone who would try to get on the train. The cops continued to scan the crowd as Naruto and Saskue finally appeared beside Neji as the group of men and boys in front of the train just kept getting bigger and bigger. It looked like the entire population of Hooverville and probably plenty of people from the surrounding cities had come just to board the train. Finally, one of the cops in front spoke up.

"You all know you can't get on this train. Just go back to your Shantytown and there won't be any trouble."

"This is the only train that goes straight out of Michigan for the next month!" A man in the crowd shouted. "You know we got family's to feed and have got to be on it! If you go back to your cars right now you're right, there won't be no trouble!"

"This is private property!" another cop in front, the boss apparently shouted back. "I'm warning you, the Flint police are on there way and they have orders to shoot anyone who tries to get on this train!"

"I'd rather be shot than sit around and watch my kids go hungry!" another man said.

"This America boys! You're sounding like a bunch of commies. You know I can't let you on this train! I'd lose my job, I got kids to feed to!" the cop continued.

"Welcome to the club brother," someone else shouted. The stare down continued for what seemed like forever as more and more people started to wait in front of the train. The cops started getting a bit more nervous until finally one of them turned to the head cop.

"Jake, there's about seven of us and about seven hundred of them, and there's more comin! I'm really not liking these odds," he said. The boss cop just glared at him before crossing his arms and turning his attention back towards the crowd. The other cop frowned before hesitantly taking off his cap and throwing it to the ground along with his billy club.

"Mr. Pinkerton ain't paying me enough to do this," he said before he started to walk off. "I quit!" The other cops looked towards there comrade, then back towards the crowd and one by one they threw there hats and clubs to the ground.

"You cowards! You yellow belied rats!" The boss cop shouted. And at that moment as the train gave on last hiss and sputter before the wheels started to turn, the crowd broke and every man and boy shot forward and rushed towards the train.

**(1) Michigan's divided into two halves. We call the upper half the Upper Peninsula, or just UP for short. **

**Whew, that was quite a bit to write. Next chapter shouldn't be far behind (haha, right) Seriously though, I'm gonna make a habit of updating more regularly. I kinda like how this chapter turned out for once. I was thinking about combining this chapter and the next one but right now, just the thought tires me out. ALSO, I did have a scene that was planned but was cut out of the final product. It was the whole Itachi and Saskue talking and re bonding scene but I realized that It really weighed the whole thing down so I cut it out. But it remains in outline form that I could expand and write if any of you are interested. Just PM me about it and I'll send it to you. So, I hope you enjoyed, not you see that little button below that says review? Click it, remember what someone famous person once said "If everyone just left one review the world would be a much better place," Anywho, thanks for reading and I'll see y'all next time!**


	10. Chapter 10

**No excuses, no explenations, no nothing. I'm just back and that's all you need to know, if you****'re all still around that is. I want to thank all of my reviewers and people who encouraged me to continue! Thanks for your support over my quite long hiatus!  
**

**Disclaimer: No...just no  
**

The train slowly began to gain speed as the large crowd closed in. For a group of homeless and jobless men and boys illegally boarding a private vehicle, it was amazingly organized. There wasn't a sound to be heard except for the hissing of the train cars and the creaking of the metal wheels against the tracks. The people were swarming forward, no one was pushing or shoving in a majorly dangerous way but there was a definite sense of urgency and panic in the air. Everyone wanted to get onto the train.

Kisame was the first one to reach it. Carrying a suitcase in one hand he leaped forward and grabbed ahold of the steel door before yanking it open and dashing inside with blinding speed. Others soon followed him. Boys jumped up and scrambled over the side while the men hoped in before turning around to help others aboard. People kept filing in while others raced onto other cars on the track. Finally a man peaked his head out and yelled.

"This ones full! Get moving!"

Neji felt himself being pulled back into the crowd as they ran towards another car. His heart was racing, he'd lost track of just about everyone. Desperately he searched for a familiar face before he finally spied Itachi. The man leaped up onto a moving car and just as Kisame had done, he grabbed the iron handle with a great pull, opening the metal doors. If Itachi was there then Saskue couldn't be far behind.

Quickly his eyes darted around before his brain told him to run. He turned his head forward again as he began to speed towards the train car. The train let out a loud eerie whistle, signaling that it had officially left the station. The wheels began to turn as an ominous feeling started to settle in Neji's stomach. The train began to pick up speed little by little before it was huffing and puffing along. It was still moving fairly slow but the men were running as fast as they could to keep up.

Neji screamed at his legs to move, to put one leg in front of the other and push forward as hard and as fast as he possibly could. The next train car was getting closer into view. If he stopped now to try and catch another car further back he'd most likely be left behind. Suddenly he heard a huff almost exactly behind him. He turned for a moment to see Saskue moving faster than Neji had ever seen him run. A look was on his face that Neji had never seen before. It was a mix of fear and sheer desperation etched across his features, he had finally found real family and he was downright scared of losing it.

Neji turned back to the train and broke into a full sprint, mentally screamed at his legs to move. He inched closer and closer to the car while the train gave another whistle. Finally, he grabbed the metal handle. A large black man appeared at the door of the car and extended his hand to help Neji up. Neji turned his head for half a second to look back. Saskue was running as fast as he could trying to keep pace. From the looks of things, he wasn't going to make it. Naruto was there about a foot behind Saskue with a look of lost determination on it. He knew he wasn't going to make it either but he was never one to give up. Naruto and Neji's eyes connected for a tenth of a second and both seemed to come up with and agree on the same idea.

Neji let go of the handle and felt himself fly backwards. He struggled to keep steady as he turned and reached backwards while keeping his feet firmly planted on the ground. He grabbed onto one side of Saskue while Naruto grabbed the other. Together they hoisted him up in the air and with all there strength, gave him a mighty shove towards the train. Saskue seemed to fly at first, then he was falling, straight towards the hard gravel and dangerously fast moving train. Just as he was about to hit the black man leaned forward and caught him at the last moment before pulling him inside. A second later, Saskue leaned out and gave a long wave goodbye before disappearing back in.

"Go get em' Saskue!" Naruto shouted after the train, arms raised in the air. He laughed, took a deep breath and bent over to rest his hand on his legs.

Another car rolled past, Neji eyed it in shock as time seemed to slow down. Tenten had boarded, she looked just as surprised as he did, as if she'd expected him out of all people to make it onto the train. Neji stared at her sadly, losing Saskue was one thing but now Tenten was leaving as well? He had to admit, he didn't want her to go. He'd grown sort of attached to her, to the entire group but especially Tenten, he was the last person he wanted to part with. But there she was, he was going to have to learn to accept it. Slowly, he raised an arm to wave goodbye. Then, Tenten jumped.

Neji felt himself blown backwards by the force of another body colliding into his. He lay on the ground a bit dazed before looking up at the girl. Tenten just smiled in response to the look on his face before she rolled off of him.

"You...You didn't leave," Neji observed.

"I can go anytime I want," Tenten said with a shrug. "But...I've grown kind of attached to you guys, it's nice to have some company for a change." She grinned at the two. Naruto just shook his head and turned back to the horizon.

"He's really gone," he sighed in a melancholy tone. "After all these years. He's really gone."

"He's the only one apparently," A very grumpy Kiba complained as he and Shikamaru strolled onto the scene. "We might have made it if _someone _hadn't been lollygagging behind."

"I was being shoved," Shikamaru said placing his hands behind his head and ignoring the hate filled glare that Kiba was sending him. "I don't like being shoved." Neji gave a small smile as he stood up.

"Well Saskue's gone, he'll be okay with his brother. Now we'd better get back to Hooverville to decide what we're going to do next...again," he sighed. The slightly smaller group of five kids slowly began to trudge back to the cardboard town in the early morning darkness occasionally sighting another person walking back who did not make the the train as well. Suddenly, a gunshot rang out .

"What the hell was that?" a man asked as the group instinctively hit the dirt.

"They weren't joking when they said the Flint police were on there way, you best stay leave," one of the cops who'd thrown down his club said as he walked up behind the group. The five exchanged looks, and immediately darted towards the town. "Hey you kids! Stop!"

Surprisingly, it was Shikamaru who took point. As soon as the red glow of the re-lit bonfire could be seen he raised his hand indicating for everyone to stop. More gunshots rang out in the air.

"This is insane," Kiba whispered loudly as they hid behind the trees. "What are they shooting? People?"

"No," Shikamaru said shaking his head. "It's too orderly for that, it would be..." he paused and looked off at the far side of the town. "Oh boy," Neji was surprised by his eyesight, he seemed to have picked up two figures in the distance. What also surprised him was Shikamaru's impulsiveness. He took off leaving the rest of the shocked group behind behind.

"Wait!" Neji hissed. "We're not even supposed to be here!" With a sigh, Neji signaled to the others as they ran after him as stealthily as possible. First he and Naruto had preformed a circus thrown, then Tenten had jumped out of a moving train and now Shikamaru had snapped. Perphaps insanity was a side effect of being on the lam. As soon as they reached Shikamaru, Neji could see why he'd taken off so quickly. Temari had apparently dragged one of the cops who'd entered the area out behind one of the brown shacks and had started beating him senseless.

A fist slammed into the side of the cops face knocking him down to the ground, his hat rolled off as he struggled to his feet again. Shikamaru ran to her side and tried to hold her arm back, she shook him off violently and rushed at the cop again. The man tried to fight back, he threw a couple of punches at Temari's face trying to put her down. The girl simply dodged them, weaving in between his arms before landing a hard blow to his nose and delivering a knee to his stomach. The man wheezed as he doubled over, Temari gave him time to recuperate before kicking him in the face sending him back to the ground.

"Temari! Stop!" Shikamaru yelled. Temari didn't seem to hear him, she grabbed metal pipe from the dirt and approached the man again, hitting him squarely on the cheek. The cop tried to regain his balance as Temari prepared to hit him again. At this point Shikamaru approached her again and yanked the weapon from her hands. The girl spun around, arms raised ready to fight.

"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded angrily. Shikamaru looked back up at her with little emotion on his face.

"They have a legal right to do this Temari, technically you are trespassing and using..."

"Oh! So suddenly rounding us all up and burning our houses to the ground is our fault! I'm not just going to stand by and watch these fu..."

"Temari listen!" Shikamaru demanded with a seemingly angry look of his own. "If you fight them it'll only make this whole thing worse. Trespassing would be the most minor of the charges when they bring the entire population before a judge and give you a permanent home behind bars somewhere out east. Please, for the sake of the people here just stand down! For your own sake, just stop. Look at what you're doing." Temari glanced down at the still dazed cop. He was young, probably no older than 20, several beads of sweat streaming down a confused and scared face, wondering what was going to happen next. Temari scowled, scoffed, turned around and started walking away. The cop struggled to his feet, grabbed his hat and with a quick and quiet 'sorry' ran off to rejoin his squad.

"Come on out Hatake!" Aoba's voice yelled as more gunshots went off. "We'll tear this entire place down if that's what it takes." The group peered out from behind a corner to observe the scene. The remaining people had been shoved off to one side, huddled in a large group. All over Hooverville armed cops peered into shacks, looking around for any more people.

"You low life yellow bellied rats!" an angry man shouted. "You waited until you knew most of the men were gone! You cowards!" The cops paid the man no mind, instead they kept fishing pots and pans out from the shacks before stacking them in a pile. Two other cops took the eating utensils and shot holes in the bottom making them unusable. Neji almost breathed a sigh of relief, at least they weren't shooting people.

"Kakashi!" Aoba demanded again. "I know you're here! I might have to take some more..." he paused and looked over at the families bunched together. "Drastic action."

"You'd never do something like that Aoba," Kakashi spoke up, emerging from the woods, hands out ready to be cuffed.

"But you're not going to take that chance are you?" Aoba replied, he waved a hand and the police stopped. "Kakashi Hatake I'm placing you under arrest from harboring fugitives, trespassing on government property and assault on city officers." Kakashi simply nodded and let a guard slowly click a pair of handcuffs around his wrists.

"You cannot be serious! You're an idiot if you actually believe that!" Temari yelled, losing her cool again. "You can't blame him for that stuff! You can't blame any one man for that! Yes we trespassed here, we've been doing so for the past 4 years and you come down here now? You just need a scape goat and something for the papers so you can keep your damn job you damn filthy rat!" Aoba calmly turned his gaze over towards her.

"Runaways Kakashi?" he asked with a slight smile. "Or one of yours?"

"One of mine actually," a deep voice said placing a hand on Temari's shoulder. "Can't you see the family resemblance?" The girl looked up in surprise to see Gai sending Aoba a very clear mental message. _"Back_ off." Aoba gave him a very skeptical look before glancing over at the other kids. Slowly, like they'd done the last time, members of Hooverville appeared behind Neji, Tenten, Kiba, Naruto and Shikamaru. They glared at the cops.

"Alright then."Aoba surveyed the crowd again before nodding his head and sighing. He waved his hand once more and the guards followed him back to there cars. Kakashi was quietly loaded into the back of his before they drove off. As soon as they were out of sight Temari hit the ground. Angrily she slammed her fist into the Earth._  
_

"It's not fair,"

**Well a bit more depressing that usual. This is the great depression though, haha, see what I did there?...Okay I'm shutting up now. Anywho, thanks for reading and don't forget to review! Thanks again!**


	11. Chapter 11

**BOOYAH! Two story updates within the week. For some reason that's seems a lot more pathetic than it would've been two years ago. Anywho! I hope you enjoy this chapter, it's the start of something pretty big :b I know I say stuff akin to this a lot but I think this time I've really gotten it plotted out! So without further ado I'd like to say THANK YOU! To all my reviewers, you guys are truly excellent! Now on with the story, enjoy!**

The silence hung over the people still standing around the fire. Everyone looked unsure of themselves, unsure of where to start. Utensils and containers lay strewn all across the ground, shacks were either burning or had been torn apart. Finally, someone leaned over a picked up a couple pots that were still mostly intact, examined the holes and walked over to set them down by his still mostly intact cardboard hut. As the others began to follow his example Temari just stood in her place as if she was in shock.

"We need to go back for him," she demanded looking fiercely at Guy.

"No, we're getting you out of here now," the man responded quickly as he himself reached down to pick up the giant black cooking pot they'd been using last night.

"So what? We're just going to leave him to the cops?" Temari looked furious, her hands were balled up into fists, hanging just inches from Guy's face. "I don't think that's what Kakashi would've wanted."

"That's exactly what he would've wanted, that's why he did it, to keep the cops from eventually coming here and hauling more of us away till we spilled on Itachi. I've worked with the man many years, he knew what he was getting into when he stepped forward." Guy said firmly. "I don't think this place is safe any more, we going to move you to another Hooverville just north of here."

"Those damn cops just took your friend, my mentor and you're saying that we're just going to abandon him?" Temari shouted.

"Use your head! You rescue him and then what?" Guy shouted right back. "The cops start a man hunt and then Aoba has an excuse to take every last one of us here away for harboring a fugitive!" He sighed as his voice came back down to normal. "I know you hear this a lot, but these are difficult times, no one's quite sure what to do, not even the police so don't blame them. They're lost just trying to do there job but even they aren't quite sure of what it is anymore. Now, I'm going to have Lee take you all north, he knows where the town is." Quietly and without protest, Lee was able to pull Temari away.

"We will get him out someday," Lee whispered to Temari as Neji motioned for the others to follow. The hustled back into the woods but instead of heading towards the railroad they suddenly turned left and headed into a thicker part of the underbrush. Tenten couldn't help but look back at what used to be Hooverville.

"Life's not fair," Temari finally huffed. "We're just leaving him to rot."

"Yeah well, that's the funny thing about life right?" Shikamaru sighed, more to himself that to anyone else. "It just seems to go on."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Temari asked fiercely, her eyes lighting up.

"Shikamaru," Neji warned. The other boy glanced at him carelessely but nodded and kept his mouth shut. The small reprimand seemed to be enough for Temari, she shrugged her shoulders and went back to the front of the crowd.

The woods at the early morning hours seemed calm, peaceful and even inviting. The atmosphere hadn't seemed to change however, all of them were still solemn and quiet.

"Where are we headed?" Tenten asked curiously from the back of the group, nervously turning her pocketknife over in her hands. "And how do we know the government won't follow us wherever we go?"

"Because this Hooverville is the Lapeer version," Lee explained taking no time to observe the scenery or even slow his rapid pace. "It is run by some famous charity worker, he owns the land so he has got permits and all the stuff."

"A philanthropist?" Shikamaru guessed in a curious tone. Lee just shrugged.

"I couldn't say, I really don't come out here that often." The group kept walking for quite sometime until at last the came upon a clearing.

"Amazing," Tenten mumbled as she yawned and stretched her arms. "Simply amazing, it's _just_ like the first one. I told you all these cardboard jungles are the same." The others looked at her strangely. Tenten just looked back. "Hey, I could be on a train to Chicago right now, instead I'm here with you. Don't make me regret my decision." And with that she walked off straight into the village.

"What's eating her?" Naruto asked, with a lopsided look, trying to make heads or tails of Tenten's sudden out of character if mild outburst.

"Well girls have…" Shikamaru began until Temari walked past him with her fist raised angrily.

"Don't you even start to teach things you don't know a lick about pretty boy," she warned not looking back. Shikamaru just rolled his eyes at the threat.

"Tenten's restless," Neji cut in. "She hates to be cooped up in one place for any long period of time. And after what she just saw, she's ready to pack up and move on as quickly as possible."

"Well I can't blame her," Naruto groaned as the group moved in. "We're back at square one again. Are we going to have to wait for the next train?" Everyone turned to Neji. He sighed and ran a hand through a section of his hair.

"I don't know," he mumbled rubbing his eyes. "I don't know anymore."

"Lee!" A voice called out as a man came jogging over. "Ibuki says that the cops were heading towards your area are you alri…"

"Is Asuma Sarutobi here," Shikamaru quickly cut in. The man blinked at the abrupt question but finally stuttered out an answer.

"W-well I'm sorry…uh, you just missed him, he'll be back tonight though," the man said. Rock Lee looked at the other boy like he'd just popped out of the sewer.

"How did you…" but Shikamaru just raised a hand in thanks and quickly walked away before Lee could finish his question.

"What was that all about?" Temari spoke up, glancing at the boy with a frown.

"Asuma Sarutobi was the man from Lapeer who visited the orphanage a lot, and the man who adopted Choji and Ino." Neji said watching his friend off by himself.

"And that same Asuma was this business guy?" Naruto asked in a shocked voice.

"Whoa, whoa, okay back up," Tenten demanded waving her hands. Feeling a little out of place the man who'd been talking with Lee decided it might be best to just leave. "Who are Choji and Ino."

"Two kids back at the orphanage," Neji paused as he observed Shikamaru heading aimlessly towards the woods. "They were best friends, totally inseparable. Choji had strength to fight off bullies, Shikamaru gave him the courage to do it and Ino was in charge of keeping them both in line." Neji chuckled a bit at the memory. "They all had parents who'd either died or left them at a very young age, all the same age and as strange as they all seemed together, it just seemed to work. Then one day a man comes by and everyone's nervous because times are rough and people who want to take kids in are extremely rare and proabably extremely rich. The man's name is Asuma Sarutobi and he wants to take Choji, Ino and Shikamaru or at least that's what we all thought. We found out that Asuma could only afford to adopt two at the time." Neji sighed and looked at his audience that was now paying avid attention.

"Well, get on with it," Tenten said rolling her hands. Neji sighed for what felt like the billionth time and resumed.

"So Shikamaru goes and has a talk with Asuma and convinces him that they can go without some full meals or just meals in general so that all of them can come. Of course Asuma is concerned because he travels a whole lot but Shikamaru convinces him. So, the big day comes and everyone's excited, Choji loads his stuff into Asuma's car, a nice long black Oldsmobile, and Ino puts her bag in and then, the doors close and the car drives off without Shikamaru. Apparently Choji and Ino weren't going to go without Shikamaru they were very adamant about sticking together. But Asuma didn't have time to work out a way to take all three of them and agreed to Shikamaru's suggestion…" he paused and let the sentence drift off. "He stayed behind to make sure his friends got…" he paused a second time and didn't finish.

"Huh," Temari said silently. "I never knew."

"He knows better than anyone what letting someone go is like."

"Apparently, the reunion is the part that he's going to have to get used to," Tenten mused. Neji just nodded in silent agreement.

"Come on, let's go see if they have any work for us to do," he said suddenly. "It'll keep us occupied until this evening."

* * *

The black Oldsmobile pulled into the clearing through a small path in the trees, boxes loaded in the back and tied to the top. Naruto and Kiba found that they had to literally drag Shikamaru out of his hiding spot in the forest. Despite his struggling them managed to push him out in the cars view just as the passengers exited.

"Will the recognize him?" Tenten whispered.

"You'd be surprised how much he looks like his younger self," Kiba snickered. A girl with a blonde ponytail and a rotund boy carrying a large stack of boxes stopped and stared as if they'd just seen a ghost.

"Well I'll be damned," a tall man mumbled, cigarette tumbling out of his mouth and onto the ground.

Without missing a beat the blonde girl ran up to him and slapped him on the face. "You could've at least written a note or something." She mumbled before pulling him into a tight hug. The other boy wasn't far behind, the boxes tumbled to the ground at he began to crush the two of them with his arms, he looked like he was tearing up.

"I really hope you're the guy I think you are," he said between sniffles. "Otherwise, I'm real sorry for hugging you like this."

"Good ol Choji,," Shikamaru laughed.

"Why didn't you ever come and visit?" Ino sobbed, shaking him. "Wouldn't old man Hiruzen organize a trip for you to come and visit?"

"He offered," Shikamaru stuttered avoiding Ino's eyes. "But I was afraid…of…of." Ino cut him off and pulled his lips onto hers for what seemed like an eternity.

"Afraid of this?" she asked. To which Shikamaru just shrugged and nodded. "Consider this our closure." She smiled.

"Come on," Shikamaru sighed. "We've got a lot to catch up on."

"We'll leave you to it then," Neji said casually. Choji froze.

"Oh, hey there…Neji," He said slowly in a nervous jittery tone. "Good to see you." He quickly turned around and hustled off with his two friends.

"Neji Hyuga," Tenten said in a smug tone coming up to him and placing an arm on his shoulder. Neji glanced at her nervously. "Just what were you back then?" It was Neji's turn to shrug.

"Don't let him fool you," Kiba called. "Long story short, he was a prick."

"Well," Tenten grinned as Neji looked at her with a slightly scared expression. "Good thing you changed huh?" Neji just kept staring at her as if the words didn't really register before a sheepish smile crossed his face. "Neji Hyuga with that face," Tenten smiled before laughing. "Never thought I'd see that as long as I lived." Casually she strolled past the others, finally ending up beside Naruto and Kiba.

"I'm going to go and help with those boxes, I think there's food in them," Kiba said and Akamaru barked in agreement breaking a short silence between them.

"Go for it," Tenten said simply. There was silence as a far crackled in the distance.

"Saskue resolved his issue, Shikamaru got his closure, everyone is finding something except me," Naruto said bemoaning his own fate.

"You've still got me, Neji and Kiba," Tenten said elbowing him as he shook it off and took out his flyers again.

"Yeah well in order to get closure you need to have issues to close," He joked. Tenten rolled her eyes. "I just have a funny feeling about the whole thing, a feeling that I just can't shake," Naruto sighed. "But it's all the way up there in Grand Rapids, it's like seventy miles away, I couldn't ask everyone to go, I could just go by myself but…"

"Go for it," Tenten shrugged casually. Naruto looked at her, then back the flyers, then back at her. "Well? Are you going to sit here whining about it all day or are you going to go out and do something about it?" Tenten asked finally. Naruto just looked back down at the flyers and smiled.

* * *

Neji and Kiba gave sighs of satisfaction as they finished unloading the boxes from the car. A man walked over and handed them two big bags full of fruit. "Compliments of our generous benefactor," he grinned.

"Thanks Mister Asuma," Kiba droned with a grin looking up at the man. Shikamaru came over with Ino and Choji and plopped down beside them. They ate in silence, but each of them had a smile of his or her face.

"Say," Asuma began. "Shikamaru, you know, I expanded my business a bit since I last saw you, despite the depression I think I've got enough to take you in if you'd like." Shikamaru's chuckle almost came out like a scoff.

"I don't know anymore," he said using the same words Neji had spoken. "I just want to know how I ended up here of all places in this situation. If you look at it, my life really is a mess. I'm out here, on my own, with a group a of friends and strangers, I don't know anymore."

"It's not our place to question Fate," Neji mumbled to himself. Asuma just smiled and brought a cigarette to his mouth.

"Well as a wise man once said, no matter the circumstances," Asuma began in a faintly nostalgic voice as if he was reminiscing. He paused once before chuckling. "Every man lives in a world of his own making. Your life is a not a mess, and because of the decisions you made a lot of people are better of because of it."

"You don't believe in destiny?" Neji asked looking up at the man curiously.

"I believe that destiny shuffles the cards for you and deals you your hand, then she let's you play them anyway you want em'. Your family, your friends, your enemies, they don't define what you do with your life. You do." Pointing directly at Shikamaru. He gave the words awhile to sink in as the boy glanced at his friends then back at the flickering flames of the campfire.

"Where the hell are you going?" Kiba shouted suddenly as Naruto and Tenten bolted past them.

"Grand Rapids!" the blonde haired boy yelled only turning his head for a brief second.

"What?!"

"Come on Neji let's go!" Tenten smirked motioning for him to follow.

"Oh great!" Kiba huffed. "Hey wait up!"

"Here we go again…" Shikamaru groaned. He stood up and suddenly stopped. Ever so slowly, he turned around, only to be greeted by a group of smiling faces.

"Don't worry about us buddy," Choji smiled.

"Just be sure you stop by and visit soon," Ino laughed. Shikamaru nodded back before turning to Temari. He raised an eyebrow. Temari just sighed.

"Well don't get all mushy on me you lazy bum…"

"Are you coming or not?" Shikamaru asked, a grin creeping onto his face. Temari looked shocked, she looked around, rubbed the back of her head sighed again and stood up. Quickly she cracked her knuckles and grinned back.

"Tell Guy I'm going to be gone for a little while," she called back at Lee as the two rushed off with the others.

"Would you wait up you lunatic!" Kiba shouted after Naruto as the two bolted off as fast as there feet could carry them.

"Taking the lead on this one?" Neji questioned smugly to Tenten. The girl just smiled at him and shrugged.

Shikamaru briefly glanced up at the sky and smiled.

"Here we go again mom, here we go again,"

**Well how was it? Did it seem rushed? I'm sorry if it seemed rushed. I'd love to hear your thoughts and comments, they really do help me update faster. Anywho, I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you soon.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Betcha thought I forgot to update and was gonna make you wait for another three months again didn't you. :b Maybe not but anyways, I'm back! I thank you for your patience! We're going to keep the story moving right along! I hope you all enjoy the chapter and once again, a big thank you to everyone for your reviews! You are all awesome!**

**Now just to clear a few things here, yes there are some really strong allusions to racism in this story but I went out on a limb and put them in here because it was part of the times and it was also constantly mentioned in the book, it was not my intention to offend anyone. Minorities really had it bad back then but especially in the great depression, it's part of America's past and we have to learn to deal with it. So yeah, I hope I don't come off as to preachy. :b No offense intended.**

"Grand Rapids?" Kiba yelled, pulling up alongside Naruto as there feet continued to brush across the dusty brown road leading out of Lapeer. "What on Earth could have possibly possessed you to head all the way up north?"

"Why not," the other boy said with a cheeky grin. Kiba sent Naruto a look that let him know just how much he was questioning his friend's brain activity.

"He's not wrong," Neji's calm voice floated in as he appeared at Kiba's side evenly keeping pace with the three. "We've only got the food we just received from the camp, we don't have a place to sleep for the night and it's exceptionally dangerous. I suggest we go back."

"After the exit we made back there," Tenten questioned with a slight and pleading smile in Neji's direction. "That sounds…humiliating to say the least."

"Come on guys," Naruto said, the smile from vanishing from his face. "This isn't the 1920's we aren't just going to run across Machine Gun Kelly out here. You remember what the Old Man said back at the home, times are tough but they're getting better, people are friendlier…"

"Oh sure, friendlier," Kiba said rolling his eyes. "Let me think about our last visit to Owosso. Where was that sign that said 'To out Negro friends who are passing through, please do not let the sun set on your read end in Owosso." Naruto opened his mouth to reply when Kiba cut in again. "And we all know that's the clean version of what the sign really said."

"So why are you worried?" Naruto asked in a no nonsense voice as the groups collective speed slowed just noticeably.

"Hey, as long as there are people, there's going to be trouble. I don't care how nice they act. Dogs watch out for there own but people, when times really get tough you can see how far people will get you." Kiba scoffed as Akamaru barked by his feet as if yelping in agreement.

"CAR!" A voice yelled from behind the four. Instinctively they jumped out of the way as a black automobile zoomed past them kicking up dust as it went.

"You kids get on home!" a man yelled leaning out of the window. "It's getting dark outside!"

"See," Naruto said with a smile as he motioned to the car, "Nice people." Kiba just scoffed again and rolled his eyes as Temari and Shikamaru joined them.

"And another thing," Kiba said in an aggravated voice. "What are we even going to do once we get there? How long will it even take us to get to Grand Rapids?"

"It's about 120 miles," Shikamaru replied also looking like he had serious misgivings about the situation.

"Well what other choices do we have?" Naruto tried to reason. Shikamaru just quickly waved a hand telling the group to leave him out of whatever they were deciding.

"Are we really having this conversation again?" Tenten sighed, resting her elbow on his knee as she sat down on the grass.

"Hey, I'm just along for the ride," Temari said with a smug smile.

"Look," Tenten said before anyone else could intercede. "We all know where this is headed and it's not going to matter anyway because Neji always has the final call." She finished with a shy smile, sending him a sheepish grin. The faint light of the sunset wasn't enough to illuminate the slight flush of red that had appeared on her face. She quickly shook it off. Well, Neji was the leader right? The white-eyed boy raised an eyebrow as he looked around at the now smiling group. All eyes focused on him with anticipation.

"Okay then," he said with a long sigh, closing his eyes and weighing the pros and cons in his head. The distance, the danger, he had to think of just who he had to protect. "Naruto, why do you want to go to Grand Rapids?" he asked firmly. Naruto just gave a friendly shrug. Neji glared at him his eyes boring into him.

"I…don't feel like telling you," he said finally not making eye contact with anyone.

"Then we can always go back to Flint," Neji said simply preparing to turn around.

"No! Wait! Okay, here's the thing, I think my father is in Grand Rapids," he sighed.

"You think or you know?" Temari asked incredulously. Naruto glanced down at his bag and clutched it firmly.

"I know," Naruto said firmly. Everyone turned back to Neji.

The Hyuga crossed his arms and began to start thinking again. He groaned inwardly and made up his mind. "We're going to Grand Rapids. But if we go then once we're there, Naruto you're in charge for where we stay and where we eat." Neji said. Kiba looked aggravated but seemed resigned to the choice, Naruto just nodded laughed and pumped his fists into the air while the rest smiled and nodded.

"Let's get going then!" Naruto yelled running to the head of the pack as they began to walk again.

"Hey," Tenten said to Neji as the two fell behind the group. "I hope you didn't mind me putting you on the spot like that." Neji gave her a slight, surprisingly gentle laugh.

"Don't worry about it," he said smiling down at her. And that was it, they wordlessly rejoined the crowd with a quick smile in each other's direction.

* * *

It wasn't to long before everyone's but Naruto's enthusiasm wore thin. The sky had gone dark except for the stars which cast little light along the tree filled roads of Mid Michigan. There feet slowly trudged on and still they felt no closer to there goal than when they had started. Every once in awhile a car would zoom by. Sometimes the driver would stop and look at the kids with a cautious or curious face but eventually they all moved on and left the six to their business.

"If anyone asks me how much father we have to go…" Shikamaru threatened as he groaned with exhaustion. At this point Naruto looked back at the group with frustration.

"Come on guys pick it up," he demanded as he kept walking, feet shuffling across the dirt.

"How does one human being have that much stamina?" Kiba muttered.

"We're already on the Owosso city limits!" Naruto said with a smile pointing up to the city welcome sign that could just me made out in the dark.

"Hey! Yeah there it is! And the whites only sign, still around!" Kiba agreed sarcastically. Suddenly Akamaru slipped out of Kiba's sweater and began to start barking. "Geez calm down boy, what is it?" Everyone stopped, Akamaru never went off like that without a reason, most of the time he just followed Kiba's lead and hid himself in the thick black jacket that Kiba always insisted on wearing. "What? Where?" he asked as the barking's of another dog could be heard in the distance. He looked up and glanced around.

"He can talk to dogs?" Tenten yawned yet still maintaining a curious tone.

"No he can't," the three other boys monotoned in unison.

"Shut up," Kiba said rolling his eyes. "Come on, tell me again, what did you smell?" he asked as the sound of the dog barking came closer.

"I think we should keep moving," Shikamaru said glancing around.

"I agree," Neji said suddenly as he began moving again. "I don't think we should just be lounging around here outside the city limits." He peered into the distance, eyes trying to make out shadows and figures, the barking was much closer now. He paused, hesitated before making the call and then with a loud whisper so only the other five could hear he shouted. "Run!"

No one hesitated, suddenly the dogs seemed to be right on top of them. No one said anything as they tried to tune in to the loud voices that seemed to be coming from all around them. Quickly, they bolted down the streets and into Owosso with the angry dogs snapping at there heels.

"Split up," Neji said quickly as the group darted in every other direction. Temari and Shikamaru turned down one of the city streets, Kiba and Naruto began to dart between the buildings and Tenten and Neji hoped a fence and swiftly fled to a mans backyard.

Temari stumbled on the concrete road and dropped to the ground. Quickly disregarding the scrapes that appeared on her hands she raised a leg and caught the dog chasing her squarely in the stomach as she kicked him to the side and struggled back to her feet before resuming the run alongside Shikamaru.

"You've got a lot off…" Shikamaru began when suddenly a hand grabbed onto his collar. He struggled but was unable to free himself, another hand grabbed onto Temari's hair. Infuriated, the girl turned and swung her fist as hard as she could into her opponent completely disregarding the fact that he stood at least a good two heads taller than she did. The man let out a cry of shock and immediately released his grip.

"Pent up aggression don't you," Shikamaru finished dryly taking a deep breath as he prepared to move.

"I don't like people who get in my way," she smiled smugly. A car hummed to life and it's headlights came on. Several men in police uniforms and at least a half a dozen others in plain clothes appeared in front and back of them. The two looked helplessly around at the crowd.

"Although, I could let this one slide," she mumbled.

* * *

Tenten and Neji hoped over another fence at the back of the man's yard and continued to run.

"There's no way we're going to outpace them," Tenten huffed talking about the two men and a dog that were still on there trail. "They're gaining on us fast."

"You're right," Neji said taking a deep gulp of air. "Keep running," he breathed as he tripped and fell to the ground. Tenten immediately stopped, turned and rushed back. "Go!" Neji insisted.

"No! Come on!" Tenten demanded, the dog was almost on top of them. Neji shook his head. Tenten looked around in panic.

"We'll be fine, as long as they think they have all of us…" Neji said reassuringly. Tenten nodded catching his drift. Quickly, she grabbed a tree branch and pulled herself high up into it, climbing limb after limb before settling on a study one and looking down.

"Whoa! Whoa! It's just get a kid! Get the dog off of him!" a shadow yelled.

"Down! Down boy!" another man yelled grabbing onto the leash. The dog continued to bark furiously in the direction of Tenten but in the dark and with the thought that they were only chasing one person the men didn't notice.

"Okay come on kid, we'd like some answers from you," the man said pulling him up by his arm.

"We're just passing through," Neji said quickly.

"Right, at two thirty in the morning with four or five other travelling chums of your I'm assuming" the man said nodding his head. "A likely story, runaway." He walked off with Neji as the other man strained to pull the dog with him.

"Great," Tenten sighed from up in the tree. "Guess it's up to me then."

**This concludes the next section of the story, for more please review :b It gives me incentive to write more XD LOL Anywho, I hope you enjoyed! **


	13. Chapter 13

**Here we are with another chapter! It's quite long so I'll just give a big thank you to my reviewers and move on! This is a big chapter that went through quite a bit of debate and planning so I hope you enjoy!**

"Nice job breaking it hero," Kiba mumbled smashed up against a wall, holding himself back for enough to he wouldn't crush Akamaru.

"He, I saw an opening, I took it," Naruto shot back angrily as he tried to work himself free from the extremely tight space between two buildings that he and Kiba had tried to slip through. "Now get yer foot outta my face."

"I can't move my foot, deal with it," Kiba grumbled. "Let's take the back alley, he said, it'll be faster he said." He continued sarcastically.

"Over here! The dogs are going crazy!" a man shouted as light from a kerosene lantern washed over their faces. Two tall figures in uniforms stood over them looking down in amusement.

"It's been over a blasted hour!" Kiba roared. "What took you guys so long?!"

"Come on kid," the officer said mildly amused as he pried Kiba out from the wall. "We're going to get this whole thing straightened out."

* * *

"Look we're not runaways alright," Shikamaru tried to explain to the old man sitting behind an old oak wood desk. "And did you really have to drag us down to the actual police station like we're common criminals?" The entire place looked faded, the walls, the floors even the guards uniforms, the place just felt downright old.

"We just need to verify that," the man said looking through his papers. "If you weren't runaways. Why did you run?"

"You were chasing us with dogs, what did you expect us to do, stand there?" He argued. "I keep telling you, we were just travelling to Ionia."

"Your parents sent you on the trip," the man asked looking slightly sympathetic.

"They didn't have enough money for a bus fare," Shikamaru sighed bit hesitantly, looking down at his shoes and trying to put on his best sheepish face, praying that the man would buy his act.

"Well I'm sure any sensible parent would have known that Owosso has an eleven o' clock curfew, the reports of looting down here were wide spread during the early years of the depression, we notified surrounding counties of our curfew decision. I'm sure your parents heard of it," the man said promptly looking at Shikamaru with an authoritative glance. Shikamaru bit his lip slightly, just forcible for a certain blonde haired girl to pick up.

Despite herself, Temari was trying not to smile, Shikamaru was actually exterting himself and he still wasn't getting anywhere, for some sadistic reason that just seemed to warrant a smile of satisfaction.

"We've got a third one chief," a cop said walking in with Neji gripped firmly by the shoulder. "We would've come straight back but Locke's dog was going off the chain so we took him home."

"Where did you say you kids were from?" The old man asked not looking up from his papers.

"Genesee Valley," Neji spoke up instantly.

"Lansing," Shikamaru said at the exact same instant. He mentally kicked himself. They should've come up with a cover story earlier, he just hadn't expected them to get caught this early. "I mean we all come from Genesse Valley but we left from Lansing," he said automatically correcting himself. The man just nodded with a smirk on his face.

"Well even so I'm going to check with the surrounding cities to make sure they aren't missing any kids of there own. Runaway children or runaway orphans, either way, you're all in big, big trouble. Eli, can you get me the numbers for Huxtable, Parker and Sarutobi? Oh and take the kids down to cell one until we can get this sorted out."

"Did you hear what he said?" Shikamaru whispered as they were shuffled into a plain looking room with two cots, an old mirror a gray chair and some plain blankets.

"And put the girl in another cell!" the old man barked. "Have some common sense."

"So close," Temari joked as the guard hastily dragged her to a cell adjacent from the boys. "This is what I like about you guys, there's never a dull moment." Shikamaru almost cracked a smile, almost.

"Yeah, he mentioned Sarutobi," Neji nodded. "Wasn't the old man part of the city council in his early days."

"Yeah but not the Flint city council," Shikamaru agreed. "It was of Owosso. If he contacts the old man back home then we're sunk." Neji frowned but there wasn't much either he or Shikamaru could do at this point.

"The line is down Henry! Why can't I reach Ovid?" the man yelled.

"Everyone's probably asleep Homaru, even Danzo would be sawing logs by now just like you should be," the guard laughed back. The man just shook his head and looked back down at his papers then back at the kids. Neji's stoic face and Shikamaru's bored expression were the only sights to greet him.

"I hope you know how much trouble this little 'incident' has caused." He grumbled.

"Yeah we do," Temari grumbled. "For us."

"Alright, move it you two!" another man yelled forcing Naruto and Kiba into the cell. Shikamaru and Neji just looked at the two figures and shook their heads.

"You let us out of here you morons! Do you know who I am?! Do you know who my father is?" Naruto yelled trying to sound as tough as possible. The old man just shook his head, put on his coat, bid the night watchman goodnight and walked out.

"Easy there champ," Kiba said rolling his eyes. Naruto ignored him and instead insisted on trying to worm his way through the bars.

"What took you so long?" Shikamaru drawled sarcastically. The other two just glared at him.

"What took you so long?" Kiba mimicked with as much disdain and sourness that he could gather.

"Listen," Neji snapped quickly his voice lowering to a whisper. "Tenten's still out there, we need to be ready to leave at any time."

"Oh because psycho knives girl can break us out of here all by herself?" Kiba whispered. Neji shot him a look. "Hey, I know she's tough but seriously she can't get us all out of here. She's a follower, you know that just as well as I do."

"She can get us out and she will, it's just a matter of when and how can we help." Neji assured him as he looked around the prison cell. "We need to start planning."

"Uh Naruto?" Shikamaru asked suddenly looking over towards the blonde boy who seemed to be jammed between the cell bars.

"Say anything…and I will kill you," he grumbled.

* * *

"Okay, just stay calm look at the overall situation and figure out a plan," Tenten huffed to herself. Most of the cops and an old man had already left, but there was still a light inside the building. One guard stood outside the door and Tenten could be sure that she'd seen another one wandering around back. Quickly, she went through her pockets again and pulled out one of her knives. No. There was no way she knock out a man or injure him enough to silence him without brining down the entire town on her.

How about a distraction? No. The idea here was to make as little noise as possible. The front door was unlocked to be sure but there was a guard out in front, there was no way that she could get him away from there or simply waltz into the lions den.

"Agh!" Tenten shouted to herself. "Neji you idiot," She clenched her fists and frowned. "No, you gave me this job and I'm going to do it." Slowly, using the cover of darkness and the buildings she went around to the back door. No guard. Tenten smiled to herself as she carefully approached the door. Locked, as expected. The old not quite rusted handle looked like it was still fully functional, not an easily breakable object. There were footsteps from around the corner, a second guard. Quickly, Tenten ran back to the bushes and waited for the sleepy looking man to complete his rounds. This was going to be a long night.

* * *

"There are only to feasible exits." Shikamaru began. "The front door and the back door over there. It's a small station and that's both a blessing and a curse. If we can get out and then we can make a quick getaway but so then the cops have to cover less ground to catch us. There's a man by the front door, a man at the desk and I'm guessing a night watchmen who only stops by when the prison has guests."

"So what's the big plan genius?" Temari asked outloud.

"Hey!" the man at the desk yelled. "Keep quiet and get some sleep." He looked back down at his papers with a yawn trying to concentrate. Temari leaned back across the bars and winked over at Shikamaru. Kiba raised an eyebrow at the look and began staring at the two.

"I don't believe this," he groaned finally.

"Oh believe it buddy," Naruto said placing an elbow on his shoulder. "Our Shikamaru finally found a girl who can actually stand his presence."

"Shut up," Shikamaru sighed as Temari smirked from across the room.

"Is this all just a big game to you two?" Kiba wondered aloud.

"Can you formulate a plan to get us out of here?" Neji asked once again in a stern voice causing the others to go silent. Shikamaru just sighed and shook his head.

"Not from here no, not unless anyone of you has something that we can pick the lock with," the boys just shook there head no and Shikamaru sighed. "Then all we can do is wait."

* * *

"Come on, you've got somewhere to be, donuts to eat," Tenten mumbled as she watched the backdoors security guard slowly shuffle his feet with boredom. She flipped some rocks in her hands, resisting the temptation to heave it right at the guy. Patience was definitely not her strong suit, there were some many interesting things she could use as weapons instead of sneaking around so much.

"The station was small but the only windows were around front and there was no way to get on top of the building. If only she could get into the building and pick the locks with her knife, it was noisy but she'd sure done enough times to know how to do it speedily. Maybe if she could just get the knife inside to the group they could do it for themselves. Suddenly, a light bulb came on in her head.

Quickly, she reached for the ground and scowled. Of course there weren't enough rocks around, nothing's ever around when you need it. As the guard walked off back around front Tenten quickly launched the one she was holding in her hand. She frowned at the somewhat muffled sound and threw another one as hard as she could. The guard from the front who was walking around back to change the shifts was fortunately more alert than his friend. His eyes darted to the door then back out to the shrubbery and the town at the loud thump he'd just heard. As he looked away Tenten took the split second to launch her last rock straight at the door. The guard spun and finally marched towards the door, pulled out his keys and opened it.

Inside the station, Neji's eyes darted over towards the back door as soon as it opened. His eyes widened as Tenten appeared in the background, holding up a knife she made a few motions with her hands before the guard closed the door behind him.

"What's going on in here?" he asked seriously. The desk guard looked at him strangely.

"Nothing, it's been pretty quite," he said. The first one frowned. Meanwhile Neji turned to the others and began to whisper.

"I just saw Tenten," he said quietly.

"Its pitch black, how could you possibly…" Everyone gave him a dull look as reality hit Naruto. "Ooooohhh, right, okay Eagle Eyes, what's the plan?"

"Kiba, I need you to punch Naruto," Neji said. Without missing a beat the boy turned around and socked his friend in the face.

"I like this plan," he announced happily with a smug look on his face. Shikamaru just rolled his eyes as the specifics of his plan began to form in his mind. As soon as he'd recovered Nartuo yelled and launched himself at Kiba.

"We might as well play along," Shikamaru sighed. Neji nodded as Temari looked on with amusement.

"Knock him dead Shika!"

"You guys knock it off in there!" the desk guard yelled sounding more annoyed that angered or afraid.

"Come on!" Shikamaru yelled convincingly "This guy's got a knife! Where'd you get the knife?" he whispered.

"Tenten slid it in while the guards were talking." Neji explained with a smile.

"Because they'd never come in if we were just fighting with our fists." Shikamaru nodded, impressed. By this time the guard had rushed over and upon seeing Neji with a knife in his hand immediately yelled.

"Donald! Clint! Get in here! I'm gonna need help! And you put that thing down right now!" he screamed again as an enormous commotion overtook the small station. Both guards burst through their respective doors. The guard from the back, not even bothering to close his, rushed in. The first guard unlocked the cell doors and stormed in followed by the back door guard. The third one, still looking a bit dazed almost followed when Temari grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and yanked him back into the bars with a sly grin.

"Hooligan!" the guard said looking at her angrily. As all this was going on, Tenten quietly slipped into the first holding cell, jumped up on the guards back and began pounding on his head. The furious men began to flail their arms every which way before gradually beginning to overpower the group.

One broke the two apart, grabbed the knife and threw Tenten off of his comrade's back as they stormed out. As he slammed the door he looked at the five again…wait five? He tried to remember when the kids had been brought in. There was the lazy one, the blonde girl, the boy with shaggy fur and the dog in his coat. Then the fifth guy, yes he'd definitely seen five. This fifth one looked kind of girly, but then so did the white-eyed one. Whatever, he thought.

"That's it!" he roared. "If you make anymore commotion tonight, I'm going to go upstairs, get my switch and come back down and give each of you the licking of your lives." With that the men dispersed. Shikamaru leaned to the others.

"He said upstairs, he'd have to walk to go and get it," Neji nodded, as the room became silent again.

"I know you didn't say anything out-loud," Naruto said looking straight at Tenten while nursing a swollen eye, "How did you get the message across to Neji?"

"I made the signs that Saskue was always doing, pointed to my eyes and mouth. It was a reference to a silent argument the two had, I held up my pocket knife to show that he should do the same just on a larger scale," Tenten smiled with a slight blush. "Really Neji was the only one who could've got it." The boy smiled back at her and nodded.

"Okay, that's all fine and dandy," Kiba sighed. "But now she's in here with us."

"And I also broke the lock with all the fighting noise to muffle it," Tenten smiled holding up her other trusty knife.

"They change the guards positions every ten minutes from what I hear out there," Shikamaru said analytically.

"Then let's get ready," Neji said with a broad smile of success. Slowly, the group sat in their places as Shikamaru silently counted out the seconds in his head. As they neared the nine-minute mark he nodded. Slowly, the group increased their noise level.

"Knock it off!" the guard called once again. Of course no one listened. Naruto and Kiba began their scuffle again as the guard rose from his seat and slammed him pen onto the desk.

"That is it! I'm going to tan your hides!" he roared just as he proceeded to enter a small door near the desk. As soon as he disappeared the gate opened and the five quietly slipped out, Temari followed with a sly smirk on her face.

"Swiped the guys keys when I yanked him backwards." She smiled. Tenten grinned as she shut the door behind the guard and jammed the knife he'd swiped into the keyhole, effectively jamming the door. **1**

"Run," Shikamaru said as they bolted out the door and quickly closed it behind them as they took off for the main road. The second guard who was strolling around back never even noticed.

"If we can just make it to Main Street and out of this town then we might be home free." Neji huffed as they ran as fast as they could. Dogs began barking again, as did the men at the station.

"He doesn't sound happy," Tenten laughed. In spite of himself Neji chuckled along with her.

"No splitting up this time, we all make it or we all go back." Naruto proposed as the rest nodded their heads, only Shikamaru in the back of the pack looked gloomy. He listened to the dogs and the shouts of the men and knew what was coming.

"If we don't get out of here, I want you guys to know that it's been one hell of a ride," he said slowly.

"Stow that talk, we'll make it," Kiba huffed. "We just have to hustle." Akamaru barked in agreement.

"I always considered you to be the one fit to lead," Neji answered Shikamaru with a sad smile. "If we don't make it out, I want you to know how much we all, consider you a friend." He explained as they rounded the last corner and burst onto the wide open road.

"They're a sentimental bunch aren't they?" Temari asked as the two quietly slowed to a halt watching the four vanish off into the distance.

"I honestly thought I'd be with them all the way through the journey, no matter what happened." Shikamaru sighed introspectively. "When they catch us they'll probably ship us back to Flint, but now that Asuma's back there I think I've got a good chance of adoption or at least a temporary foster home."

"You seem to have a knack for sacrifice," Temari said stretching her arms as the sound of dogs drew nearer.

"I don't really care what happens to me," Shikamaru shrugged. "My family and my friends, that's what it's all about I guess."

"Any regrets?" Temari asked with a grin.

"Not really, I don't think I'm cut out for a life of adventure," he yawned. "I got to see Saskue get reunited with his brother, I found my old friends and I met you." He finished with a genuine smile. Temari looked surprised but gradually her lips curled upwards as she gave him a similar one. "Well I guess this is it," he said as the two began to slowly walk back to the town, Temari's eyes scanned the side of the road for the biggest branch she could find.

"Who says our adventure is over?" Temari asked picking up a colossal stick and snapping the loose twigs off of it. "Something tells me that we'll be seeing each other again, real soon." Shikamaru glanced curiously at her with a smile as the two clutched each other's spare hand. Both squeezed the others and they exchanged sheepish looks.

"Hey Temari…"

"How about we work out the little details later, if we don't get sent straight to prison for assaulting all these police officers." Temari suggested with a cheeky grin. Shikamaru chuckled and sighed but nodded as there hands broke apart again.

"Let's go," He grinned slouching down into a fighting position as the dogs finally appeared around the corner.

**Creative liberty number 356 :b Never try this at home, you're more likely to just end up with a broken door handle. But Tenten's had a lot of practice at this stuff so I'm justified…I guess.**

**And so there it is. Shikamaru and Temari's final closure...for now! You may be asking yourself, hey DC, what was the purpose of these past two chapters? Why no leave Shikamaru back in Lapeer Hooverville with Temari. To which I would respond, because that would have no purpose, that chapter was to give him official closure and this was how he made his grand exit. So you may ask the follow up question, then why didn't he do it in the first Hoovervile? To which I would say ( I really wouldn't say much, this stories been through more outlines and drafts than I care to count XD) because my original plan for the idea would have the cops hauling everyone away, and not only do I want Shikamaru to have something to go back to, but Temari as well. I like to have happy endings for the main cast…but that's not to say they won't be appearing again. ;-) Anywho, thanks for reading and ttyl!**


	14. Chapter 14

**And here's the next chapter! Thanks for being so patient! I'm really trying to get my updates out sooner but I'm just so swamped with school! Anyway, I'd like to thank all my reviewers and followers! You guys are awesome! And on a final note we are starting to move into the final section of the story. Once they reach Grand Rapids we move into the last arc so this is kind of a transition. So with that heres the chapter and I hope you enjoy!**

"What's making all the racket?" Naruto demanded as he coked his head backwards, staring into the darkness-bathed background, hearing the sounds of multiple men and animals shouting.

"Keep moving," Neji reminded him before Naruto's head had even turned halfway. "We have to get as far as we can before the cops catch us again."

"Where'd Shikamaru go?" Kiba panicked as he and Naruto came to a grinding halt looking around wildly.

"Weren't you listening?" Tenten asked with a sympathetic frown, having picked up on the pair's last conversation. "He fell back with Temari to buy us time, get moving." Even as she spoke she continued to run with no signs of slowing down.

"I thought that I **just said** a minute ago that none of us…" Naruto began to lecture angrily.

"Get moving!" Neji ordered interrupting Naruto's speech. Kiba looked unsure of himself but ultimately decided to question the decisions later, quickly he followed the pair. Naruto however, held his ground, feet firmly planted into the dirt defiantly.

"You just abandoned him?" Naruto asked furiously. "This whole time we've been telling each other to just stick together and we'll be okay! The minute we break up we get thrown in jail then we escape and now you want to split us up again?"

"Go on, I'll be right with you," Neji said to the two as he pulled himself to a stop. He gave Naruto a stern look as he frowned. "This was Shikamaru's choice, he did what he had to do, resigned himself to his fate."

"Fate?" Naruto said grinding his teeth, blood boiling. "You think that this whole thing was what? Destined? Pre-ordained? What does that make us all? Just pieces in a puzzle? Is that all people are to you? Did you hear anything Asuma said last night?"

"Whatever I may believe Shikamaru made his choice, he decided to stay behind to help us get away. Now you either have two options, go back and get caught along with him, or you can honor his decision and help us reach our destination. You don't believe in destiny? You want to make your own choices? Well here's your chance. In the meantime I'm still leader and I've still got a job to do." With those final words he turned around and rushed off.

Naruto clenched his fists as he turned back to Owosso. From the black noises, shouts of triumph and struggling reached his ears. At least the lazy bum was putting up a good fight for once in his life. Car engines roared to life in the distance.

"His choice, his fight," Naruto whispered to himself with a regretful sigh. "Good luck you guys." He finished silently as he turned back to the road and ran to catch up with his friends.

"The fight's almost over, they're heading to their cars by now, I don't think the road is safe anymore." Naruto explained as he ran up along side Neji.

"Then we'll have to fade into the fields and wait until they pass." The boy nodded with a careful glance to the sides of the road.

"If they come after us with dogs?" Tenten questioned.

"I didn't say that we we're going to stop moving," Neji inhaled. The others all groaned inwardly, it was already past midnight their minds felt foggy and tired but still they followed his lead as he jumped the ditch that separated the dirt road from the thick grass.

True to what, Neji said, the four didn't stop, they simply ran, all throughout the night. They kept moving even after the sounds of the dogs had disappeared. As weak as their muscles felt and as sleepy as their minds were the continued to run. Across, farms, through fields, into forests, all the while, keeping near the road.

Finally, as the first lights of morning crept onto the plains and peaked through the trees from beyond the horizon, Neji held up his hand indicating for the band to stop. Kiba instantly took a deep breath dropped to the ground, laid his head against the grass and began sawing logs. Naruto quickly followed, walking over to a small stream with cool clear water that ran by a house to take a long drink before drifting off to sleep himself.

"Get some sleep," Neji huffed to Tenten taking a deep breath or air.

"No you go to sleep, I'll keep watch," the girl responded firmly, looking at him with a disheveled and tired look. "You've been watching out for us this whole time, leave this one to me." Neji was about to object until he lifted his head, her face was concentrated, focused and firm despite the obvious tiredness in it. "Don't worry about me fearless leader, you get some rest."

"I'm not going to…" Neji tried before Tenten surprisingly and promptly pushed him onto the ground.

"Let me handle this one," she said silently as Neji felt his eye lids grow heavy. Try as he might, he couldn't get them to stay open. It had been a long day, Saskue, police raids, losing more friends, jail time, he yawned at the very thought of what lay in front of them. With a heavy sigh, his eyes closed and his breathing leveled as he slowly drifted out of consciousness.

* * *

Neji slept better than he had since the group had left the orphanage. He'd forgotten just how a relaxing a good nights sleep could be, how actual mattress felt, with nice soft linens. Rolling over he groggily pulled the sheets a little closer…wait a minute. Neji's eyes popped open painfully as he leapt out of bed. That didn't seem right.

A soft breeze was blowing through the open window as the curtains tried their best to shield him from the suns bright and cheery rays. He had the strangest feeling, as if he'd been here somewhere before, he hadn't been in a room this nice since before he'd come to the orphanage. No, those days were gone, he'd buried the memories and moved on.

Slowly, his head cleared, the drowsiness and dizzy feeling he'd gotten by forcing himself up and out of bed had were finally subsiding and now he had a whole new problem. It was official, this was definitely not the place he'd fallen asleep in. Carefully, he drifted over towards the door, steeping over the sleeping bodies of Naruto and Kiba. The two were still out cold, he could wake them up but he'd definitely be a whole lot quieter without the bash brothers following him around. Akamaru perked up his ears and stood up as soon as he saw Neji leaving. Neji gave him the sign to sit and wait. Akamaru wagged his tail and happily complied. It was ironic how Akamaru almost seemed smarter that Kiba.

The wooden boards creaked under his feet, sending squeaks through the walls. Neji grimaced as he paused. Wooden houses never creaked unless you were trying to keep them from doing so. Throwing caution to the wind Neji began to tiptoe towards the door before grasping the brass handle, opening the door which or course had its own unique creaking sound. He peeked into the hall before moving to the door right across the hallway. A closet he guessed, the door was way to small to be anything else. He moved on to the next door and placed his ear up against it.

Suddenly, he heard voices from downstairs, quickly he opened the door and zipped inside as the sound of feet coming up the stairs could be heard. Quietly, closing it behind him he turned around and froze. It was a room, much like the one that he'd woken up in and just like his room there was already someone sleeping there. He didn't recognize the figure at first, the long brown hair actually threw him for a whirl. That alongside the little detail that she was a girl was almost enough to make him walk right back out the door again.

She rolled over apparently trying to get comfortable in her sleep. Neji gawked at the sudden revelation of just who the figure was. It couldn't be Tenten, could it? He was so used to everyone in the group having one outfit, one hairstyle and one attitude but this girl in front of him, serene face, long hair and peaceful demeanor was the polar opposite of the brash girl that he'd come to know.

He made his way over to the bed quietly as Tenten rolled over. He reached his arm out to try and wake her but found that he just couldn't quite reach. Damn rich people and their extra large beds. He tried snapping his fingers but Tenten seemed to be out cold. With an inward sigh and a quick glance around to make sure no one was watching he climbed up onto the bed.

Gently, he leaned down closer to her and placed a hand on her shoulder to shake her awake. As soon as his hand came down Tenten snapped awake gripped his arm hard and turned back to face the sudden intruder. The two blinked a few times in surprise at the others actions. Slowly, both of them felt the rush of blood to their faces. It dawned on both of them just how close they were to each other. Neji blinked staring into Tenten's brownish doe like eyes, he'd never noticed just how, attractive she'd really looked. Then again, he'd never been this close to any girl before.

"Morning," Neji greeted quickly recognizing that this was probably the most awkward thing he could say in this situation.

"Morning," Tenten replied, wide eyed, the streak of red not vanishing from her face.

"Do you know where we are?" Neji asked finally pulling back a little. "And not that I…well could you let go of my arm now?"

"Huh? Oh, um yeah sure, the farm land that we fell asleep on was private property," Tenten said sitting up and finally releasing her grip. "The man who owned the land dropped by and I would've woken you guys up but he had a shotgun and…" she let the sentence trail of before continuing. "I convinced him that we were going back home, not running away. So he insisted that we all stay with him for the night. I guess so he could keep an eye on us….Was that a bad idea?"

"Not at all, you did what you…" Neji began before the door open. The man at the door almost gasped. "I can…" Neji began before the man began shaking his head.

"Oh no, don't even start sonny, I know how you city kids are but out here we do things a little differently. Why when I was your age we were a bit more courteous towards the ladies." The man said, words pouring from his mouth at a mile a minute dragging Neji off of the bed and pushing him out the door. "Beging your pardon miss," he said. "Now, I'm Mr. Calloway, and when you're under my roof I'll thank you to not make such lewd advances on women."

"I wasn't…"

"Now, now sonny, I understand, your young and growing up but you have to learn to control yourselves now Mrs. Calloway found some old outfits that you and your friends can change into while she get lunch ready for you all." The man said pushing Neji back towards his room.

"Lunch?" Neji asked with a raised eyebrow.

"When you sleep you go way, way to sleep." The man said with a humorous tone as the entered. Akamaru barked in greeting as they entered waking Naruto and Kiba up. Groggily, the two rose and looked around in confusion.

"Naruto, Kiba, this is Mr. Calloway, he was nice enough to let us stay at his house for the night and offer us a trip back to Grand Rapids where we're going back to." Neji reminded the two carefully. Thankfully, even their sleepy minds grasped the concept as they both nodded their appreciation.

"We also got some grub on the stove so you might want to hurry up," Calloway smiled with a wink as he left the doorway.

"Out of the way Kiba! I'm using the washbasin first!"

"You got it last time!"

"There was no last time! Every time we go to a new house we reset remember?" Neji just rolled his eyes. Something's never changed.

"I can't believe it, how many times are we going to get caught and escape? Naruto asked tugging at his new shirt while the four slowly walked down to breakfast.

"Well that's just the way people are I guess. Nobody trusts anybody." Kiba shrugged.

"Hey, what is with you?" Naruto demanded. "You've been acting moody ever since Hooverville." Kiba just rolled his eyes.

"Dogs look our for the whole pack, that's all I'm saying," he grinned as rubbed Akamaru's head. Tenten and Neji just looked sheepishly back and forth at one another, trying not to make eye contact. What had happened earlier felt so surreal that neither of them really even tried to acknowledge it. Finally it was Tenten who took the lead and spoke up to Naruto and Kiba.

"Look all we have to do it put up a convincing act and this guy will practically give us a free ride to Grand Rapids, let's just be sure to keep our stories straight, he definitely doesn't trust us." Tenten explained, the others nodded as they reached the bottom and followed the rich smell of freshly baked goods into the kitchen.

"Well good morning!" Calloway greeted motioning to a set of seats. "Let me introduce you to the Misses!" he said as an older woman strolled past him. "This lovely lady here is my wife. She made this wonderful meal that you see before you and if you don't like it I might as well just put you back on the street right now." He grinned. "Also, our hired hands, Jesse, Nathaniel and Thomas my son who decided to stay and help out on the farm!" Three burly looking young men in overalls looked over and waved.

"Help yourselves to some orange juice, milk, whatever you like there's plenty of it!" Mrs. Calloway called.

"Now, who might you four be?" The four unconsciously stiffened as there lines ran through their head, nothing extra was needed just the names, nevertheless this was where the lies were going to start.

"I'm Naruto, son of Minato Namikaze!" At the mention of that name the four men immediately spat out there drinks or began to choke on them. Neji inwardly groaned, why would he be throwing other names around so casually like that?

"I know your father!" Calloway shouted. Naruto started looking nervous.

"You do?" he asked.

"Of course kid! Everyone knows your father! You may not know this but he's kinda famous!" Thomas explained as the whole table began to laugh. Tenten and Neji exchanged cautious glances.

"So! Your fathers a musician huh?" Mrs. Calloway asked sharply without humor setting a plate of sausages on the table. "Well that explains it."

"Now Willona…"

"Don't you Willona me!" she reprimanded her husband. "This man just let his son run halfway across the state. I have half a mind to keep him here a bit longer just to put some fear into his heart but he probably won't even miss him."

"Oh you," he said waving a hand at her casually. "I mean at first glance I wouldn't say you look a whole lot like him but the hair, the eyes! Do you remember when we saw him in Saginaw?" he asked Thomas.

"A spitting image." Thomas grinned back at his father then towards Naruto again. "Your daddy grill them scales into you well?"

"Uh yeah, he's real strict about music," Naruto nodded with the best smile he could muster.

"I'll tell you what we're going to do!" Calloway shouted. "We're going to say grace, then we'll eat and then I'm going to personally drive you down to Grand Rapids so we can put your fathers worries to rest!"

"That's great!" Naruto said with the smile still on his face. The other three looked at him nervously, they were definitely on thin ice now.

'_Where in the world did he come up with this?' _Neji thought to himself. '_Whatever the reason, from now on we're going to have to play our cards just right.'_

**Whew! T****hey get captured...again _ this wasn't intentional I swear! Okay mildly intentional but not in the grand scheme of things! Just to push the plot along this wasn't really even a capture and its the last time I swear! **Well there really in deep now :b I hope you enjoyed! Please review!_  
_


	15. Chapter 15

**This is more of a transition chapter as we move into the final part but I feel it does lay the ground work for some interesting character development later on in the story. Well, I'd like to thank all my reviewers once again! You're all just so awesome and I'd like to thank you for reading! **

"I know, I know just hear me out okay?" Naruto said immediately as the door shut behind the trio. They'd been excitedly told to pack their things and get ready to leave almost too hastily and Naruto eventually got the feeling that his friends weren't to pleased with him at the moment.

"Are you insane?" Kiba asked in a huff. "You know damn well you've never known who your father was! He left before you were born! Who possessed you to come up with a story like that?"

"I have this feeling…" Naruto responded quickly before an infuriated Kiba cut him off again.

"A feeling? This is based on a feeling, another one of your hunches? Well that makes me feel a lot better." Neji placed a hand in front of him and pushed him backwards a little. Kiba paused and looked down, seeing how far he'd moved from his original position over the course of his rant slinked backwards.

"This arguing is pointless, Naruto made up a story and now we have to act the part. Give us a quick summary of the whole story so we can play along." Neji said quickly. Naruto grabbed his bag and opened it. Rummaging around her drew out five old and battered looking flyers.

"Minato Namikaze?" Neji asked looking them over.

"Well you don't even share the same last name." Kiba huffed.

"These are from over…" Neji observed looking at the dates on the most recent one.

"That last one is from right before my mother died," Naruto explained with a cross face. Neji and Kiba's mouths quickly snapped shut. Parents were still a touchy subject between them. "She brought it home from work and kept pushing the flyer around and across the table over and over. I've never seen anything get her more upset." Naruto sighed, his eyes running over the flyers again, soaking in all the words.

"Naruto I'm not questioning your judgment, but you were six back then right? Everything is a whole lot bigger at that time. It could've meant a number of things."

"No not this," Naruto said shaking his head, his eyes not leaving the flyer. "Look, it's like you said, it doesn't matter, we've got to stick with this. Just make up your own stories that your friends of mine because I didn't want to run away by myself."

"And only use your first names, adults eat that childhood innocence stuff like candy," Tenten said walking in while rolling her eyes. "Ready to go?"

"Just getting our stories straight," Neji said with a quick nod.

"Take a look that these," Kiba said snatching a flyer from Naruto's hand. "Does this guy here look anything like…" he stopped and motioned to Naruto.

"Like Neji? Yeah." Tenten said misinterpreting his question. Kiba gave her an odd look, he glanced back at the flyer, then at Neji then back at Tenten.

"Why in the world would you say that?" Kiba asked almost angrily.

"Look at that hair," Tenten said motioning to the man on the flyer. "I rest my case." Kiba gave her another strange look and Tenten looked back at the flyer again. "How man families do you know with clear eyes?" she asked again.

"That's a printing mistake," Kiba said pretentiously as if it should have been obvious.

"Then it'd have to be a printing mistake on all of the flyers because…" Naruto said observing the rest of his papers and looking at the same figure on all of them. He let the sentence trail off.

"So what? You believe that this random guy is Neji's father?" Kiba demanded.

"There is a family resemblance." Tenten pointed out. "Same for the Minato guy as well."

"They don't even share the same last name!" Kiba said finally looking thoroughly frustrated.

"There could be a lot of reasons for that," Tenten offered. Kiba just threw the flyers on the bed and put his hands in the air.

"Alright! All right fine! Now Naruto's got a father and Neji's got a father! Whoop de doo! I'm ready to go, I never had anything in the first place. I'll see you all downstairs." And with that he marched out of the room.

"I'll go after him to make sure he doesn't say anything stupid," Neji sighed, as he brushed past Tenten the two exchanged a smile. Tenten watched him walk out as Naruto came up behind her.

"You never said anything about how this guy looked like Neji," Naruto pointed out taking one last look at the man before folding the paper and placing it into his pocket.

"Well I didn't want to say anything unless I had to but…you seemed so sure that this guy was actually your father that I thought their might be a good chance that this guy was also Neji's father. I know it might have been a stupid idea but after all we've been through, I'd just like all of you guys to have a happy ending," she finished with a smile.

* * *

"Well here we are!" Mr. Calloway Naruto's eyes snapped open. He could've sworn that he'd only shut them for a minute. "The ol' Log Cabin."

"I'm impressed with you kids, I really am!" Mr. Calloway said as the car cruised into the parking lot and pulling to a halt. "I offered my kids money to run and they'd never take it, you kids on the other hand ran clean across the state. About 120 miles!" the others looked unsure of how to respond until Naruto responded with a simple thanks. "Don't mention it kiddo, next stop is the Grand View Cabin! Your father still owns this place right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Naruto agreed as he glanced down at his hands and forced them to stop shaking. "Hasn't changed a bit." He glanced over at Mr. Calloway and then to the three in the back seat.

"Well we'd better get going," the man said as he cut the ignition and reached for the door handle. Neji, Tenten and Kiba all exchanged nervous glances.

"Um, Mr. Calloway sir," Naruto began. "This is probably going to be pretty awkward for me to explain to my father. Do you think maybe I could go in and see him alone?" he asked carefully. Mr. Calloway frowned.

"Well kid, I don't mean to say I don't trust you but you did just run clear across the state. I think I'd better hand deliver you."

"Please sir, I really think that this is something I need to settle with my father by myself." Naruto pleaded again. Mr. Calloway looked at Naruto again and sighed.

"Well how about this, we almost had to use a pair of plyers to pry your hands off that suitcase of yours last night. I'm guessing you don't go anywhere without it do you?" Naruto shook his head. "Alrighty then, your friends, and this suitcase will stay in this car and I'm going to give you five minutes to talk to your father. If you're not out by then I'm coming in after you." Naruto nodded and opened the door.

"Oh," Mr. Calloway stopped him again and leaned in closer. "See if you can get an autograph for me to." He winked. He and Naruto shared a laugh as the boy stepped out and tried to walk as calmly as possible towards the large oak doors. He opened the first set listening to them creak open only to be greeted by another pair standing in front of him, just at the Flint concert hall. He took a deep breath; finally, he was about to meet this man who he knew next to nothing about except that he might be his father.

No, he mentally berated himself. You don't think, you know, you didn't come this far just to be let down. He waited and counted down the seconds in his head before fishing the flyer out of his pocket and walking out.

"Thank you sir! He was so grateful to see me that I don't even think I'm in a whole lot of trouble!" Naruto said as he handed the flyer to Mr. Calloway. The three in the back traded looks. As Mr. Calloway nodded and smiled before taking a look at the flyer.

"Oh wow, this is an oldie! They don't make them like this anymore! His signature is about the same as it was back then to! Yep, this is the done deal alright!" he set it on the dashboard as the others got out. "Now, I know it's none of my business but I have to add my two cents, their aren't may place any kid should be runnin off to especially in these times, they can be dangerous." Naruto just nodded and smiled knowingly. Mr. Calloway thinking he'd got his message through nodded back. "Well then, y'all take are now!" he smiled as he rolled the window up. The four waved as the car pulled out of the parking lot and drove slowly away. As soon as it was out of sight Naruto sighed and turned to the others.

"Well? Whose ready?"

**:D And that is where I'll leave you! The end is so close I can almost taste it! Once again thanks for reading and please review!**


	16. Chapter 16

**Oi, sorry this chapter took so long. Life happened, y****ou know how it is. Anyway! I'm back now and ready to start wrapping this thing up! Once again, I'd like to thank all my reviewers! You guys are just plain awesome! Seriously! Thank You! So with that out of the way, I'd just like to say, here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy. **

"Your gut better be right," Kiba mumbled as the others nervously came to a halt, glancing at the large entrance doors. Each one of them looked at the other expecting them to take the lead but even Neji seemed hesitant to go through with such a hastily compiled plan. Seeing that no one was going to take the first step, Naruto glanced at his friends again, sucked in his breath and carefully moved towards the building.

"Wait a minute!" Kiba said quickly, grabbing Naruto's collar and pulling his back to the group. Naruto threw his hands in the air.

"You know, I took a lot of courage to take that first step, or should I say try and take that first step," Naruto said giving an indignant nod to Kiba. Akamaru just barked as Kiba spoke up.

"Maybe we should come up with a plan." he said carefully.

"A plan? Since when do you come up with plans? I know you hate this situation but plans? Really? I expect more from you." Nartuo said sadly shaking his head as Kiba just rolled his eyes. Akamaru whined by his feet sharing his owners' frustration.

"I'm saying, for once in our lives maybe, we should be smart about this," Kiba said holding up his hands. Tenten and Neji nodded surprised but agreed and nodded.

"That's pretty long term thinking," Neji acknowledged with a nod of his head.

"Longer than most thoughts anyway," Naruto mumbled under his breath. Neji ignored him and focused on Kiba.

"Alright then, we strategize. What's the plan?" he asked as the three turned to face him.

"Wait? What? Me?" Kiba asked nervously.

"It was your idea," Tenten pointed out with a shrug. Kiba looked at the others, they looked back. Sheepishly he rubbed the back of his head wondering just what to do as Akamaru barked by his feet.

"Huh?" he asked looking down at his dog. "Oh! Right, sure. Well, what's the main thing that could go wrong here?" he began.

"They don't believe us, catch us and send us back to Flint," Neji answered simply as Kiba nodded again.

"So…logically," he paused trying to formulate a plan when a light bulb went off in his head. "We should only send in two. Neji and Naruto are the only ones who are looking for parents. Four of us going in would look way more suspicious and if they don't' believe you then we can still try and bust you out just like Tenten did back in Owosso!"

"Wow," Tenten said with a cheeky grin looking over at Neji. "He's making sense."

"Right, we'll go in," Neji said agreeing. "You two try and find a window to see if we get into trouble. Get out of there is things turn ugly, got it?" Tenten and Kiba nodded as Naruto clutched his suitcase tighter also agreeing.

"Good luck in there," Kiba said as he began to move around back with Akamaru by his heels.

"Be careful out here," Neji said placing a hand on Tenten's shoulder. The girl almost twitched and blushed for a second before regaining her composure and answering.

"Hey, it's me," she winked at him. Neji sighed before smiling at her and bowing his head. "I'll be fine," she reassured him. The two grinned before Tenten also disappeared around the side of the cabin.

"Well ol' buddy?" Naruto asked slinging an arm across Neji's shoulder. Neji glanced at the foreign limb with a death glare as Naruto hastily removed it. "You ready for this?" Neji just nodded as the two slowly approached the doors.

It was almost pitch black inside the lodge, but as their eyes adjusted to the lower light they could make out several objects in the distance. At least a dozen sets of tables and chairs set carefully across the nicely polished floor just below a furnished wooden stage. A light seemed to illuminate the area where seven men lazily moved with the rhythm. The drummer was making tapping his sticks rhythmically against the wall all while listening to the largest of the seven, a wide shouldered black man.

"That was that, they kicked me out of the draft office faster than you can say Jack Robinson, so I did what I'd always done. I changed my application form, crossed the border into Ohio and applied again." He drawled steadily, listening to the beat. "I didn't care if it was illegal. I was a young, middle-weight, American born tax paying citizen. They had no right to deny me military service to my country just based on my race."

"Middle weight bro?" the drummer spoke up, suddenly stopping his tapping. "Was this so long ago that gravity just wasn't as strong as it is now or did a pound just weigh less back then?" a wave of chuckles rolled through the group. The man just rolled his eyes went back to his instrument.

"You ask Hizashi, this wasn't an easy time for folks of any race," he explained jerking his thumb towards an Asian looking figure. Compared to the others he was very formally dressed, mostly in white, with long black hair, a stern face and distinct white pupils. Neji all but froze in his tracks stunned by the resemblance. Hizashi just nodded

Naruto on the other hand just kept walking. Focused on the man sitting right beside Hizashi. He was tall, sharing the same blonde hair and boyish face as Naruto, with a calm friendly air about him. Naruto stepped into the light and walked up onto the stage as if entranced.

"Well," A said turning towards Naruto. "I thought I heard that door open. Did Mabui send you son?" Everyone turned their focus on him as the drummer kept tapping. Naruto seemed to freeze in place as his eyes darted amongst the band members.

"Uh, well, no sir, I'm uh here to meet my…father," he said as if the whole thing suddenly seemed to be a foolish endeavor. "Um, for the very first time." As if by instinct all eyes turned towards the dummer.

"Bee," A growled, crossing his arms with a stern look on his face.

"Hey look bro, this ain't no kid of mine, our skin color ain't even the same!" the drummer said quickly holding up his drum sticks defensively. "Tell em' couz," A man with a bluish green tint in his hair behind the saxophone just raised his hand and closed his eyes as if he wanted no part in their conversation.

"Kid, just who is your father?" A asked turning away from his brother. Naruto seemed to freeze, his mouth opened as he tried to stammer out an answer.

"He thinks you are sir," Neji said appearing at Naruto's side and motioning towards Minato. It was the bands turn to freeze, they traded looks with each other. A glanced over at Minato.

"Theirs…" Minato stopped, wide eyed as if he wasn't sure how to answer. A snapped his fingers as he spoke up.

"Kid are you from Flint?" he asked suddenly. Naruto immediately perked up and nodded quickly.

"Yes sir, that's exactly where I'm from," he said. A turned back to Minato who's eyes had widened ever farther in disbelief and threw his hands up as if to say 'see?'

"Now wait a minute, " Hizashi spoke up. "First of all you don't come in here and start accusing folks of being your father." Everyone turned their attention towards him. Neji seemed surprised by his sudden outburst, it was forceful but calm at the same time and even more surprising was that it sounded a whole lot rudder than he thought it'd be. Hizashi's face was stern and angry. His white pupils started right at them as if trying to pick their minds before he continued. "Second where is your…where **are** your mothers?"

"Dead sir," Naruto and Neji seemed to chorus at the same time.

"Well, I'm sorry to hear that but you have to understand that there is no way that he can be your father. Now why don't you tell us just where you're from and we'll…"

"Hizashi," A said motioning towards Neji with a blank stare. Hizashi just shook his head before speaking up looked over at Neji and began shaking his head.

"What are you implying?" A just motioned towards Neji again. "Their are enough people in Japan with that eye color and not all of us are related alright. That does not mean we're related at all."

"Come on, cut the kid a break, they just ran halfway across the state," A said.

"You listen here and you listen well. I am married and my wife is still living, I've never had another partner other than my wife despite what this "musicians stereotype" suggests. I have a daughter and I would never ever do anything to cheat on them."

"What was your mother name?" Minato said suddenly. Naruto turned towards the man, Minato just sat their, a calm composed look on his face. Neji glanced over, Minato may have looked calm but his hands were shaking and he was definitely on edge.

"Kushina Uzumaki," Naruto said looking him directly in the eyes. Before A or Hizashi could question or even react to his answer Minato had Naruto in a tight hug.

"That was your mothers maiden name, she still went by it when we got married," Minato explained as Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. Finally, he was home, for him it was over. Minato looked like her almost had tears in his eyes, he clutched Naruto tighter in good spirits and finally pulled apart so he could get a good look at him.

"So why did you leave her?" Neji asked. Naruto paused, he'd never thought of that question. But then, if he was really the one who left his mother then why give him such a greeting?

"It's complicated," Minato began. "Neither my parents, nor Kushina's parents exactly approved of our relationship. Our families didn't exactly see eye to eye. So when she got pregnant we decided to run. But I got caught and from that point on they kept a close watch on me."

"They kept you against your will," Neji asked?

"We were eighteen, not legal adults. By the time I was twenty-one and went searching for her I had no luck whatsoever. I heard she had gone to Flint but I searched the whole town and still couldn't find her. I didn't hear anything from her. Until today," he said turning towards his son, a grin splitting his face. Neji must've still looked skeptical because Minato continued.

"Really, ask Hizashi, he's been a friend of mine since childhood. He'll tell you the same thing." Hizashi just rolled his eyes and looked over at Neji.

"And what was your mothers name," he said almost mockingly.

"Hozumi Hayashi," Neji answered sternly, dislike etched acrossed his face.

"Never heard of her," Hizashi said standing up and looking back over at Minato. The man just gave him a raised eyebrow, questioning his actions. Hizashi looked over towards A who shook his head showing he didn't want to say anything on Hizashi's behalf. "Fine," Hizashi insisted looking at the two before focusing on Minato. "If this is how it's going to go down so be it. But remember, this is your little red wagon, not mine, and your going to pull it the whole nine yards." And with that Hizashi walked silently off stage. Neji didn't spare him another glance.

**And the plot thickens! Thanks for reading and please review! :D**


	17. Chapter 17

**DCFAN back again! Sorry for the name confusion last chapter, it has been fixed! Now, we delve a bit deeper into the plot...or expand the characters...or both. Anyway, I'd like to thank all my reviewers again! You guys seriously rock! I started this story way back in November of 2010. Now think about that. This story's been running for almost two years...that is completely my bad. I should never have made all of you wait so long. Thanks so much for sticking with this! Please enjoy! :D**

"Well…" Minato said sheepishly as he watched Hizashi vanish behind the stage curtains before hearing the lodge door slam in the back. "Don't worry…um."

"Neji," the boy responded quickly.

"Right, Neji, don't worry. We're going to help you out at least until we can find a place for you." Minato said helpfully. Neji involuntarily tensed at the mention of a 'place' which at the orphanage was simply code for a new foster home and a whole world of trouble but on the outside he simply nodded.

"You gotta habit of picking up strays boss, you just got to good a heart. No offense kid." Bee yelled from his drum set with a laugh.

Naruto glanced over at him. The problem with Neji was that he respected everyone, or at least he pretended to, it was one of those things that made him so hard to read. He couldn't tell what was going on inside Neji's head right now, he couldn't tell if he wanted to hit him, Minato or the road again and frankly it was driving him nuts. Minato must've sensed some tension because he kept on speaking.

"So here's the deal," he said leaning down. "We're about done practicing and we're going to go over to the Sweet Pea, so we'll help feed you and give you a place to stay for a few days, but in return you'll have to come clean with us…both of you. I wanna know just where you're from and how you got here." Minato finished, stressing the last part.

"What's the Sweet Pea?" Naruto asked, more out of curiosity than suspicion.

"Only the best restaurant food in Grand Rapids," Darui called picking up his instrument and placing it in his case. Naruto turned to Neji who excused the two of them as he led him to the far side of the stage.

"Well?" Naruto asked excitedly.

"Well?" Neji asked with an emotionless expression on his face.

"What do I think? Restaurant food!"

"Seriously."

"Okay, okay but really, this is perfect!" Naruto gushed, Neji just gave him a dry look. "Come on Neji, this guy, this my dad and you know it! We're finally home!"

"You're finally home." Neji corrected. "Even then you can't be one hundred percent sure that man is your father until you sit down and go every little detail with him."

"Hey he accepts me and I accept him what else is their…"

"That's because your both looking for it. You heard his story, he'd do anything to find his son and you'd do anything to find your father. Be careful here. This many not be your home, this definitely isn't my home and it sure isn't Tenten's."

"Or Kiba's," Naruto pointed out before continuing. "Come on Neji that guy will warm up to you. He's gotta be related to you, you know that." Neji just shook his head. He looked around the room then at Naruto with some hint of sadness on his face.

"He wasn't wrong, these eyes aren't unique to my family. No, this is your closure, the rest of us have to keep moving. This isn't where we belong." He said calmly.

"Oh come on! I keep saying we're not going to split up again and for some reason...Just try it! Just one day and we'll see how it goes!" he pleaded.

"If it's not working out after a day you'll let us leave without a fuss?" Neji asked sternly.

"Are you really going to pass up the chance to eat real restaurant food?"

"Naruto," Neji warned.

"Yes, I promise on all my belongings in my suitcase that if you don't like the situation after one whole day, starting after dinner, you are free to leave and I will not fuss about it." Naruto answered reluctantly raising his right hand.

"Then let's go give them our answer," Neji answered his face still as cold and void as when they'd first started talking. Naruto just shook his head as he followed Neji back towards Minato. Well, at least he could tell he was stressed.

"We're in," Neji said as he and Minato shook hands.

"Excellent," he answered with a genuine smile running across his face. "Let me introduce you to the band. This is our drummer Killer Bee, Dar the Black Lightning our Sax man, trombone players Coy Omoi and…"

"Just call him cuz'," Bee yelled jerking him thumb towards the man with the blue tint in his hair. The man just rolled his eyes as he packed up his instrument.

"They're cousins," Minato shrugged. "And of course this is Gray Day A who plays the bass fiddle. Now only the good Lord knows why these fine young men can't simply live with the names that their mothers gave them but hey, musicians, what're you gonna do?"

"Your sure about this?" Neji whispered quietly.

"Haha," Naruto mumbled back sarcastically.

* * *

"And what are they doing now?" Kiba asked with a grunt. "And how much longer?"

"Hey, first of all, it's not my fault they made these windows so high up and second they're still just talking so quit asking every thirty seconds," Tenten answered from where she was standing atop his shoulders.

"Still?" Kiba gasped. "They've been in their like twenty minutes already. How long can it possibly take to say 'Hello I think I'm your long lost son, please feed me'?"

"I think something like this requires a little more tact," Tenten answered. "Wait, wait, wait, they're coming out."

"Good," Kiba groaned as Tenten jumped off of his shoulders.

"We need to follow them," Tenten said quickly as she landed almost sprinting towards the side of the building.

"Hey wait up!" Kiba called trying to keep his voice as low as possible while still remaining audible. Just as Tenten reached the edge a figure sprang from around the bend and pressed her up against the wall.

"Would you two please keep it down? You'll ruin this whole thing. 1703 W. Marshall road," Neji said silently, handing Tenten a colorful looking pamphlet with the word Grand Rapids Tourism printed across it. "That's where we'll be staying."

"That's where you're going right now?" Tenten inquired flipping the pamphlet over trying to locate the address.

"No, that's the home address I saw on the bands luggage." Neji answered glancing over his shoulder to see if he was being followed. "I'm sure that's where they all usually stay."

"So where are you guys going now? What went on in there?" Kiba demanded.

"Naruto thinks he found his dad but apparently we're going to a restaurant to sort this whole thing out. Theirs still a lot of details that need…" Neji said with a sigh.

"Restaurant?" Kiba asked with half shock. "Geez! You certainly picked a high class of people to find kin with!"

"It wasn't my choice to…"

"Save it. Look, I don't have family up here alright? What's my place around here? You two found families, good for you, that means we can go our separate ways now right? If they need to work out details that means they've still got some suspicions left and if you ask them to help board two of your street friends you can kiss your stay here goodbye."

"We'll work something out, but for the time being try to follow us." Neji said sternly.

"Follow you, while you're in those cars?" Kiba asked. "What kind of sense does that make? I'm not waiting till nine tonight."

"Whose says' we'll be gone till 9 tonight?" Neji replied with a raised eyebrow.

"You know how rich people are, eating at restaurants at least once a week, staying out late and all that."

"Kiba, what's with you?" Neji asked annoyed.

"What's with me? What's with you? What happened to the jerk Neji who at least made some sense once in awhile? Back at the orphanage you used to act pretty high and mighty but damn at least you had a brain to go with it. People leave, Sasuke did and so did Shikamaru, Naruto's found family, now let's leave. Your letting this whole 'he might be my father' thing cloud your judgment."

"Believe me, that's the last thing on my head," Neji said narrowing his eyes as the two leaned in towards each other.

"Hey, here's a idea," Tenten jumped in with an aggravated tone while glaring at the two. "How about we cut the chatter, just let those two go their own way while we wait back at this address and we'll all talk about it tonight." With careful looks at the two of them, Neji and Kiba nodded at each other before turning in the opposite direction.

"Oh and Neji," Kiba piped up.

"Yes?"

"See if restaurants allow you to take out food."

"…Sure, no problem."

"Boys," Tenten mumbled to herself as a car engine roared to life near the building.

**And their we go! This character development is going to lead to bigger stuff in the next few chapters as del start finally developing an actual relationship *wink* *wink*. :b Anywho, thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed and please review!**


	18. Chapter 18

**Well if you keep up with Naruto manga then you're probably as crushed/angry and or saddened beyond belief at the events that have most recently transpired as I am. For those of you who don't keep up with it, I won't spoil it for you but suffice it to say that Kishi has been out trolling again. In my time of mourning, I have turned back to my fan fiction and decided to finally publish this damn chapter and try to get the whole story done before new years. So by all means voice your anger, weep in sadness, enjoy the chapter and begin the process to hunt down Kishimoto. Thanks for reading my little rant and I ask you to enjoy the chapter. It's pretty Kiba centric and I know some of you are going to be pretty upset with me by the end of it but I've had the dang thing outlined for forever so please just bear with me. I'd also like to thank all my reviewers! You guys rock! Enjoy!**

"Can you believe him?" Kiba growled as he walked down the gray gravel road along with Tenten who currently had her head buried in the map.

"Knock it off," Tenten snapped without looking up. "I'm getting pretty tired of you ripping on him like that. You're acting like a bitch."

"What do female dogs have to do with this?" Kiba asked confused as Akamaru growled by Tenten's leg. The girl looked suspiciously down at the white dog and tried to move her legs out of biting distance.

"You know, they're always so ornery and touchy…you know?" Tenten pressed. Kiba just shook his head curiously. "You haven't been to the cities in awhile have you?" Kiba shrugged. "Okay fine. All I'm going to say is that ever since we proposed this whole idea that Naruto and Neji had parents up here you've been acting weird, and by weird I mean like a real grade A jerk.

"Hey call me jealous," Kiba snapped back picking up Akamaru and patting him on the head. The dog whined, obviously aware that something was wrong.

"Seems to me that you're beyond jealous," Tenten mused turning the paper around. "Hey, you want to try and make sense of this?"

"You don't know what you're doing?" Kiba asked, actually glad for a change of subject regardless of what it was.

"Hey, I can't read maps to save my life," Tenten berated him as if it should have been obvious. "I don't know where we started and I can't find the address of where we're going. I got lost in my hut back in Hooverville."

"We're so glad you made it out alive," Kiba drawled sarcastically putting Akamaru back down as he held out his hand.

"I kept crawling along the floor trying to find the door, turns out the damn thing goes around in a circle." Tenten said as Kiba peered closely at the decorated and gloried paper that tourist bureau had the nerve to call a map. Suddenly he stopped and looked at her.

"Seriously?"

"No. Read," was the two word response as she grabbed his gray hood and yanked his head towards the map.

"Yeah, I've got no idea either," Kiba sighed as he smiled over at her. Tenten just gave him an awkward smile back. The kind a girl gives a guy right before she smacks him across the head. "What I wouldn't give to be in Naruto's shoes right now."

"Oh yes, sitting in a cramped room discussing family trees, sounds heavenly." Tenten said rolling her eyes.

* * *

"Dude," Naruto hissed to Neji. Neji cast him a sour look. "I'm guessing this is just what heaven looks like." Neji silently sighed as he cast a look around the restaurant, it seemed to be just one big room with a few adjoining doors, one that led to the kitchen. The actual room just seemed to consist six or seven large red tables with chairs and a few paintings hung on the otherwise plain yellow walls.

"Gentlemen, our tables await," Minato pointed out officially as they strolled over the carefully polished floor towards the far end of the room.

"And they let us cut in line," Naruto smiled as he kept on whispering to Neji. "Look at this place!" The other boy nailed him in the ribs with his elbow, just enough to get his attention.

"Would you quit gushing?" he asked. "This is in no way permanent." Naruto just frowned at him but decided to keep quiet anyway.

"And this mi 'lords is our royal seating arrangements, our tables are always reserved here," Dar said with a far off air as the group began to stroll over towards the first table. Suddenly Naruto froze.

"What's wrong?" Neji almost hissed at the second distraction. Naruto nodded his head towards the second table. Seated there was Minato, Hizashi, a woman neither had ever seen before and a nervous looking girl with short almost violet hair.

"Look at her, she's so…" Naruto said dreamily. Neji rolled his eyes.

"That women is at least three times your age," Neji hissed.

"The younger one genius," Naruto snapped back. "Look at her eyes."

"Move Romeo," Neji said giving Naruto a firm push forward. The boy stumbled across the polished floor before quickly dropping himself into a seat. Neji followed him silently, avoiding eye contact with Hizashi.

"Naruto and…Neji," Minato said snapping his finger in recognition before motioning to the girl beside Hizashi. "This is Hinata, Hizashi's daughter." Naruto looked like someone had just poured hot wax down his right ear. He looked up Hizashi, the man gave a small scowl and Naruto quickly redirected his attention.

"H-hi," Naruto fumbled at Hinata as Neji gave her a polite bow. The girl awkwardly and just nodded before shrinking backwards shyly. Neji slipped his head into his palms.

"And this is our vocal stylist Ms. Mabui," Minato continued motioning to the black woman. Naruto leaned over in Neji's direction inquisitively.

"She's their singer," Neji explained. The two looked up at her and nodded in unison.

"Pleased to meet you ma'am," they chorused.

"Ma'am? My, my, you sure have picked up some fine helpers Minato. Better than the usual rude crude folks that A brings in." she laughed.

"Mabui, I'm crushed," Dar said jokingly leaning back towards her from the other table. Mabui smiled back before taking a good look at Neji.

"My word, what is wrong with you child? Dirt and bite marks everywhere," she said indignantly taking ahold of Neji's face and turning to it to get a better view. Naruto tried his best not to snicker. "Hizashi! How did you not see this?"

"Talk to Minato," Hizashi said with an indifferent wave of his hand as a waitress set a cup of coffee down beside him. "As far as I know he's the only one who got a good look them." Mabui turned her glare onto the blonde, expecting and explanation.

"Well to be honest, they did look a little swollen," he chuckled. Mabui's glare looked ready to raise the temperature in the room by a few degrees so Minato continued. "But you know how dark that cabin can be! I wasn't able to get a real good look."

"How did this happen?" Mabui asked with a concerned and inquisitive voice. Neji reached back in his mind to try and form a suitable story that could fit with the situation before Naruto again spoke up to soon.

"We ran away from home ma'am," he spoke up. Neji groaned to himself, their he went again, talking themselves into a corner. "We all ran away because the orphanage was to full and we tried to go to Chicago but we missed the train and Sauskue left and the cops came…" Minato held up his hand.

"Son I can tell you've got a lot to say and a lot on your mind," he began.

"More like constipation of the brain and diarrhea of the mouth," Hizashi mumbled. Mabui and Minato both sent him a look.

"But remember our deal, you've got to be clear and you've got to come completely clean with us." Naruto just nodded again Minato. Hizashi picked up his coffee cup and walked over to the other table.

"Alright," he said. "One of you's going to have to go and sit with Minato and Miss Mabui…oh and my kid_**s**_," he said stressing the s. The band, minus A looked at each other and then bolted for the table, they stopped looked at each other, laughed and sat back down.

"Take my seat Mr. H," Dar said with a smile on his face. "Those two have the looks of future musicians." Naruto and Neji traded looks with each other.

"Y'all ready to order?" the waitress asked as she arrived at the table.

"We'll talk afterwards," Mabui said with a smile as she picked up the menu. Neji breathed a sigh of relief. Safe, at least for now.

* * *

"And, how was it?" Kiba asked as he and Neji maneuvered outside the grand looking manor the band owned trying not to attract any extra attention.

"You get to order," Naruto gushed.

"They don't just bring you whatever's on the stove?"

"I know right!" Naurto said in surprise.

"Cut the chatter" Tenten said from the side of the house. "What do you think?"

"It's perfect,"

"It's a death trap," Neji muttered throwing in his two cents.

"Look just because he taking awhile to warm up to you…"

"You heard what they all said alright," Neji shot, "Theirs no way that man can be my father. He was married to one woman, had one kid and that's all. I'm a year older than that…what was her…"

"Hinata, Hinata Hyuga," Naruto spoke up immediately, a little to quickly, the three looked at him slowly before Neji resumed.

"If I'm a year older than her then that means Hizashi had an affair. To even suggest that I'm his son is insulting," Neji pointed out.

"Sounds complicated, sneak into the kitchen tonight and steal everything you can and we'll hit the road again," Kiba suggested quickly.

"We're not just running away, look I don't know about you guys but we have come to the consensus that, that's my dad in their." Naruto said firmly.

"And here we go," Kiba mumbled.

"Theirs a family resemblance, " Naruto demanded.

"Because no one else on earth has blonde hair like you," Kiba replied with biting sarcasm. "Look you two may be able to stay but theirs no place for us."

"You don't know that yet," Naruto shot at him.

"Yes, I do. Look, they'll take in their two estranged children sure, but you can already see the tension in their. You ask them to take in their estranged children's street friends, unless they're as dumb as a lamppost they are going to wonder what's coming next! They're not running an orphanage!" Kiba replied getting closer and closer to Naruto's face.

"Cool it!" Neji demanded. Immediately, both Naruto and Kiba backed down. Neji looked slowly from one to the other and sighed.

"Personally, I'm sick of running. I'd like nothing better than to just stop here and take a rest. But I do remember my father just a little bit. I remember what he talked like, how he looked, and that man in there," he paused to point at the large house. "He's not my father. Tenten and Kiba don't have a place here and as leader, it's my job. Naruto, you can stay here, but the rest of us have to keep moving on."

"What? No, no, look! I can make this work! I can!" he said quickly running back to the door and dashing inside. "No one is leaving ever, just watch." There was a brief minute of talking before Hizashi's voice spoke up.

"You see? What did I tell you?"

"I'd better go help him out," Neji mumbled as he rushed after him.

"Well that's that," Kiba mumbled. "You heard what he said, no place for us here. Let's not make things difficult for them."

"You're leaving? What is up with you, you've been acting just…just weird since we brought up this topic, and give me a straight answer if you're really going to leave. I think I deserve one after all the time we've been through together." Tenten demanded. Kiba just threw a glance behind himself at the far of gate and the road.

"Fine," he sighed as he paused and scrapped at the ground with his shoe. "The truth is, I'm not an orphan. My sister left me at the orphanage. Maybe she didn't have enough money to take care of me or maybe she just didn't want me. Hell if I know. All I do know is that she hasn't been around in eight years and I've given up ever seeing any member of my family again. That's why I feel such a strong bond with these guys, they didn't have any family either. Then Saskue's brother showed up, Shikamaru had people who are as good as family and now these two find their dads."

Tenten gave him a sympathetic glance but decided to keep quiet and Akamaru walked up beside Kiba's leg sensing his owner was troubled. Kiba took little notice of either and kept pushing dirt around with his shoes.

"I thought we were all the same. No parents, no relatives. I thought it'd stay that way, that we could make it on our own, that I'd found people just like me…but this is what I get huh? Everyone else goes onto live the high life and I'm still stuck down here. Geez, what a drag." He glanced over at Tenten.

"Their trying to help you right now aren't they?" she asked. Kiba just chuckled.

"Yeah, yeah I guess they are. We're still friends after all, but there's no place left for me," he walked over to Tenten. "But you don't have any relatives either right? You should come with me." Tenten glanced back at the house then turned with a pained look.

"Kiba…I'm, I'm sorry…" she began, turning back to the house with a far off look. Kiba glanced at her frowned then suddenly it clicked in his head. The boy held up his hand and as he smiled.

"Don't worry, I get it," he said. "Well I don't actually, why do they always go for the strong silent type?" Kiba sighed to himself again.

"Hey, it's not like that," Tenten said, immediately going on the defensive.

"Yeah it is," Kiba answered with a smirk on his face. "Take care of yourself alright?" he asked as he and Akamaru turned around and began walking away.

"Hey," Tenten said grabbing his shoulder. Quickly she shoved two rough and tattered pieces of paper into his hand.

"Two dollars?" Kiba gaped.

"Enough to take you just about any place in Michigan you want to go," Tenten replied. "Scrapped it up here and there."

"T-thanks," he said as the two shared a quick hug. He gripped her as firmly as possible before turning back around. Footsteps could be heard inside the house, as bickering voices got closer to the door. "Take care of those two oddballs to. Especially Naruto, he's a clutz. Oh and you and Neji look great together," he called out with a smile as he turned and began to run not giving Tenten a chance to respond.

"Alright where is she?" Hizashi stepped outside and folded his arms cynically. "Can you tell me, is she the only one? Can you honestly tell me that?"

"Well," Naruto began looking around for Kiba before Hizashi held up his hand.

"No, I want to hear her say it," he said sternly looking at her, his white eyes boring into her. "Are you alone out here?" Neji and Naruto looked at her. Without hesitation Tenten nodded and spoke up.

"Just me sir," she said. Minato sighed with relief as Naruto and Neji continued to try and subtly look around for Kiba. Hizashi nodded back and frowned before turning to Minato.

"Alright fine, they can stay but tomorrow I'm going down to Flint to get the real story." Slowly Neji, Tenten and Naruto trudged across the finely cut grass of the bands manor without a single look back. Minato and Hizashi followed the trio and slowly shut the door carved wooden door behind them.

Across the lawn, behind the shrubs and trees, Kiba scaled the brick wall with Akamaru and dropped down onto the gravel. He quietly brushed himself off, smiled, and turned back to the road.

**Kiba is the last person to leave, I swear! It's all NejiTen from here on out! Sorry Neji fans, his time in the story is coming. I promise!**


	19. Chapter 19

**Prepare to be cheesed. I'm Sorry! I Tell The Characters Not To Act That Way But They Do! Ahem, yes, well, day 'I forget' of the anniversary of the event which shall not be named. Still, trying to get my mind of things, currently I'm holed up in Hong Kong because the stupid Visa office thinks it's funny to keep white foreigners waiting over Christmas. So, I needed some stuff to take my mind of things and I began to write…cheese. Yeah, I hate having to write the realization chapters because they're just so…difficult, you have to keep everyone in character yet satisfy the reader at the same time. If you've read any of my fics you know what I can't do this in the least but hey, I try. So, without further ado, here's the chapter hope it satify's because it does push the relationship forward a little bit and please give me some feedback!**

"Goodnight," Neji called to Naruto and Tenten.

"G'nite," Tenten called back watching Neji slip inside the black archway. She turned into her own room that Minato had provided for her.

"Remember, my room is just down the hall if any of you need anything," Mabui said comfortingly as she Tenten nodded and shut the door. The first thing she noticed by the light of the moon than seeped through the windows was the red carpeting. Images of various foster homes filled her head, bad ones. Kids were sometimes beaten, abused, they always left nasty stains on the floor. Slowly, she reached down and touched the floor.

Nope, this was the real deal. She almost looked disappointed. Tenten mentally berated herself but try as she might she just couldn't get Kiba's words out of her head. It definitely made sense, everyone seemed to have a family now except for her. She couldn't really blame Kiba for hitting the road, although she was sure Naruto and Neji were expecting an explanation as soon as possible.

She took another look around the room. It was nice, their were two dressers pressed up against the white walls, which themselves were decorated with blue waves. A perfectly made, large bed sat in the corner of the room with new sheets.

Suddenly, their was yelling in the hall. Tenten quickly slipped to the side of the door and pressed her ear up against it.

"Not in that room! That's not yours to give! Not now, not ever!" she heard Hizashi yell. She opened the door just a crack and peeked out to see the man rushing into Neji's room.

"I'm warning you," she heard him say before straining her ears a bit more. "You may have the rest of them fooled, but not me." Minato was still hustling up the stairs and the handle to Mabui's door was just beginning to rattle. Tenten quickly slinked back inside and tip toed over towards the bed, just in case Hizashi decided to pay her a visit as well. She slowly drew her jackknife and kept it concealed in her right hand but the sound of the arguing Hizashi, Minato and Mabui slowly got farther and farther away. Eventually, her own eyes began to fall as she drifted off to sleep, jackknife still in hand.

* * *

Neji's eyes creaked opened the new morning to a familiar feeling of confusion and paranoia. At this point in his life, having gotten into a routine of waking up in a strange place he couldn't remember seeing had become the norm. The memories began to hit him as usual. Maybe it was a good thing Shikamaru wasn't here, life probably would've become way too much of a drag.

He descended downstairs to the sound of voice in the dining room bantering and arguing back and forth with an uneasy feeling in his stomach.

"Like I said, I'm going to head to Flint and find out the real story first," Hizashi's sour voice came from the bottom of the stairs. Suddenly, there was a pause in the conversation as Neji's foot hit the bottom step.

"Well!" Minato sounded off in a charming voice. "Look who decided to show up! Did you sleep well?"

"As well as can be expected sir," Neji said eyeing Hizashi grimly. Minato just shrugged and the older man rolled his eyes as if to say 'I don't need to take this'. He suddenly picked up his coffee cup and headed for the door.

"I don't like the way Tatsuki is sounding this morning." He said briefly. Neji scowled, the feeling in his stomach started to churn. Minato and Mabui shook their heads but decided to ignore him.

"So," Mabui greeted with a smile, gripping her coffee mug with both hands. "How are you this morning save for the master executive?"

"Good ma'am." Neji nodded politely.

"Excellent," Minato smiled. "Because now that it looks like you're going to be part of the family for awhile we've got a few ground rules to lay down." Neji looked at Minato with an analytic stare but decided to simply nod cautiously.

"Let's hear them first," Neji said officially with a cold tone. Minato chuckled.

"Smart kid," their was a sudden sizzling sound from the kitchen. "Shoot," he muttered quickly before bolting from his chair and running to the kitchen in a flash. "Grace, would you be so kind as to run over the rules with our guest?" he called. Mabui just looked back at the kitchen and smiled at the plume of white smoke that was rising out.

"Don't burn anything now," she called back mirthfully before turning back towards Neji shaking her head. "I'm sure we do things a little differently than from where you kids come from but it's necessary. When September rolls around we're going to have to find out about school for all of you and how to adjust the budget and how we're going to handle road trips."

"If we're to much trouble…" Neji began slowly. Mabui stopped her with a smile on her face.

"Not at all, I'm just saying thing are going to be different than what you're used to. First of all, you're going to have to listen to us, even Hizashi. What he say's goes. He's been part of this band longer than you've been alive. Second of all you're going to have to pull your weight around here, we're a big family so we all haveto do a little something to help out. Hauling instruments and running errands and the like. But that's about it."

"Grace, Mabui! Could you give me a hand here?" Minato begged. The woman sighed and turned towards the kitchen.

"Coming!" she yelled back shaking her head again. Neji shuddered unconsciously and paused. This whole thing was driving him nuts, he needed to find Tenten.

As soon as Mabui was out of sight Neji quietly rose from the table, pushed his chair back and edged towards the door before slipping out silently. In the daylight the grounds were so much clearer. The grass needed mowing but Neji doubted anyone could see with the large evergreens and red brick wall that surrounded the property. Several automobiles were resting out near a faded gray garage about twenty yards from the house. Inside he could hear Hizashi mumble to himself as he fiddled around with the inner workings of his car.

Neji silently crept in the other direction taking a quick glance around the corner. He spied Tenten by the side of the house fiddling with the pocket knife she always kept so close to her. He sighed

"We need to talk," his mellow voice said just beside her white t-shirt. The bun headed girl jumped and spun to face the offender with her jackknife raised.

"Neji? Geez, would you cut that out? One more like that and you'll send me into shock." Tenten sighed, putting the knife away. Neji almost smiled. Almost. He still had a message to get through.

"I think we should take our leave," he said quietly. Tenten groaned out loud and buried her head in her hands. She slumped onto brown hard wooden floor out of aggravation and sent him a glare portraying her disgust.

"Daddy issues?"

"I knew my father," Neji began again. "I'm sure of it. As much as I just want to find my parents alive, even when I try my hardest, this Hizashi doesn't match up the one I knew. I never had a sister and I was at least four when I came to the orphanage, there is no way, no way in hell that he can be my father."

"Hey, I never knew my parents at all!" Tenten snapped suddenly. Neji glanced at the girl curiously and cautiously. "I'm tired of all this bitching and moaning about lost parents, or not having them around when everyone else is finding them! I had one foster father and I decked him in the jaw alright? You don't see me complaining do you?" Neji just rolled his eyes.

"If you found a person who everyone kept insisting was your mother would you stay or move on?" Neji dared. Tenten sent a look straight at his white pupils and glared.

"If knew she wasn't…" Tenten began toughly. "I'd probably move on but look. I'm tired of running. This must sound weird from someone who's been running most of her life, from someone who hates staying cooped up but being on the road is awful. You keep walking, thinking, hoping things are a little better down the line but they never are. The whole worlds in this stupid sad state.

Neji looked at her, a slight hint of sympathy in his face. For the first time he began to realize just how much she had gone through and what'd she'd experienced before she met him. She did look sad, and tired. He nice chestnut hair was mused, deer like eyes in a hazy state and lips curled in a distant cynical frown.

"My earliest memory is in an orphanage. Damn places just make me sick. You can try and make friends if you want, but people just come and then they go...that's the reality I have to live with. You've got nothing to do but exist. That's why I was so glad when I found you guys. When I learned that you actually cared about my well being back in Hooverville, I promised myself that I was going to stick with you guys. It's not that I can't watch my own back, I can, it's just that no one's ever asked me if I wanted it watched. You," Tenten paused as her face softened. She looked over at Neji and gave him a cheeky grin "…you just felt like it was your duty from day one."

"Everyone's always looked to me for the plan," Neji sighed as he gradually slid down the wall and came to a stop just beside her.

"Because that's what you're good at," the girl explained immediately. "You aren't afraid to make decisions. You just do it. I don't have that kind of judgment. Saskue didn't and Naruto sure as hell doesn't."

"I never felt an obligation to protect anyone, but you all trusted me and I guess that why I did it anyway," the boy answered back sliding down beside her, his whit eyes looking off at and beyond the wall. "But you, you never had to come with us in the first place. You had to but up with five odd, insane and frankly disgusting boys. Are you saying you stuck around just for the sake of having friends?"

"Not in the beginning no, I guess as time went on…I stuck around for your sake. You stood by me when the going got tough and I'm going to stick by you. Which is why I have to tell you that I think you should stick around. Safety in numbers and all that." She gave him another cheeky grin.

"You're crazy," he said, his face giving her a genuine, yet still calm and collected smile.

"You're mature."

"You're a fighter."

"You're a thinker."

"You're a do-er."

"You're cute," Neji said, closing his eyes as Tenten gave him a surprised look before responding. Neji mentally laughed and kicked himself at the same time.

"And you, Neji Hyuga, are quite possibly the most interesting, funny and adventurous man I have ever met." She finished with a grin. "And if you decide to leave, then I guess I'm going to have to go with you."

"It's settled then," he said back. "No one's leaving, at least until we can get this father business sorted out." Tenten's bright brown (or green) eyes gleamed at him. The feeling in his stomach disappeared, replaced by another alien creature. Butterflies. Neji smiled back, for once, everything seemed…okay.

**Well this could've gone better, but this is like my third re write, I hope it was worth it but this time around, suggestions would be greatly appreciated, I really mean it this time! Anywho, thanks for reading! You guys rock!**


	20. Chapter 20

**Done before the end of the year, yeah, what was I thinking? This is like my first update for anything of the whole year. I've just been really pressed with school and all . Sorry lame excuse but this is my last year of HS and I've got some extra curriculars that are just eating away at my schedule. But here's the next chapter, I'm really pushing to get this whole thing done so those of you that have stuck around, thanks a ton! Here's the next chapter, were really getting down to it, the end is in sight…for me anyway. Enjoy! P.S Q****uick note for anyone still with questions, the woman referred to as Grace is Mabui's nickname. Just so we're clear. :b**

"Fine, fine, then you are absolutely sure that the banquet hall will be set up when we get there? I'd better hear a 'yes' coming out of that mouth."

"Chill, I was in Ann Arbor yesterday, they got everything spread out and ready for the show."

"Why does Dad have to go up by himself," Naruto questioned innocently, having taken up the practice of calling Minato 'dad'. The band thought it was hilarious, it'd probably make Kiba retch.

"It's the way of this dull, dull, world my friend," Dar said loading his beige trumpet case into the back seat. "Most cabins wouldn't let us do a show if they knew the color of our skin so Minato usually goes and reserves us the gig." B turned to Naruto and grinned.

"Kiddo, theirs always been at least one white men in the band for business reasons, but we don't hold his skin color against him, he can't help it if he was born that way."

"You're just…to kind B," Minato deadpanned.

"So what happens when you guys show up and they don't find the band to be exactly they expected?" Naruto asked inquisitively, hanging onto Minato's words.

"Well," B cut in again. "By that time it's either us or no music and if we're not the best damn band that's ever preformed there then we come with a money back guarantee. We haven't been stiffed yet." The band laughed as Minato clapped his hands jovially.

"All right, all right, that's enough bragging for one hour, come on people! We gotta hit the road hard if we're gonna make it on time!" Neji and Tenten emerged from the building, a suitcase in each arm before they proceeded to load the cars up with the baggage. Their conversation had only taken place that morning but since then they'd been rummaging through the houses library hoping to find anything on the family tree. Now a whole weekend away looked to be a one huge roadblock on their research.

"Okay, here's how this is going to work," Minato began. "Grace, Hizashi and I will be with A and Naruto in the ford. Neji, Tenten, you'll be in the Packard with Dar, and Hinata."

"Omoi, B and his cousin are going to follow up soon,"

"Don't make any moves on her," Naruto whispered to Neji.

"Didn't you say you thought we were related?" Neji shot back, thoroughly annoyed. Naruto's eyes moved shiftily around as he tried to come up with a suitable answer.

"Well you don't think you're related."

"Would you get moving?!"

"Geez, fine, fine," Naruto mumbled as he slipped away.

"Let's getta move on people," Dar called out pushing B inside. Neji quickly rushed to the door of the truck and jumped in beside Hinata. Dar leaned out the window and banged on the metal side of the door twice. "We'll see ya up in Ann Arbor boss."

* * *

"One, two, three, four," The slow tapping of B's drum stick's rang out in the banquet hall just as a slow rhythm began to drum off the stage. Minato nodded his head with the slow beat before pushing his fingers down on the white ivory piano keys. Supporting the large bass guitar, A joined in, letting the beat go on before the horns finally made their entrance and Dar's saxophone began to blow a long jazz melody.

"They're pretty good aren't they?" Tenten asked from the back of the hall wringing out a mop as she watched Minato's hands dance across his instrument.

"Mhm," Hinata just muttered meekly as. Tenten almost laughed but thought better of it and simply coughed before speaking up again. While the adults practiced, the kids got the floor ready. Tenten had volunteered to go with Hinata, thinking that she might open up to another girl but so far she'd had no luck.

"Must be…fun to travel with these guys everywhere, see Michigan like this."

"Mhm,"

Tenten curled her lips in frustration tilted her head and sighed to herself. Hinata just kept her head down and her eyes on the job at hand. Nothing else really seemed of importance, rather Tenten got the sense the girl was viewing her questions as more of an interrogation than anything else.

"Okay, that's it, Hinata, Neji, Neji, Hinata," Tenten said forcefully extending Hinata's hand as Neji walked up to her side. The violet haired girl looked at her "brother" and panicked. She snapped her hand back before grabbing the mop again and moving on.

"Well," Neji deadpanned, the only emotion in his voice being sarcasm. "That went well."

"Hey, with that attitude she probably is your brother." Tenten shrugged. Neji smiled at her.

"These guys are good," Naruto said; star struck, eyes completely focused on the stage. "Really good." The smile on Neji's face was whisked away. It was Tenten's turn to smile. Yeah, heaven forbid anyone see the fearless leader start to smile too much.

"Lookin good kids, we really appreciate all your extra help," Mabui smiled as she slipped in through the door. Hinata bowed her head afraid to look up; she kept her mind focused on her job. Hizashi just nodded to the group as the pair walked towards the stage.

Mabui walked, with perfect composure up onto stage, patting a hand on her leg to keep time. She closed her eyes as she mouthed off the beat before bursting into a chorus of her own that fell right in line with the jazzy ensemble as if she was her own instrument. Hizashi followed suit, picking up his own long brass trombone and jumping right in, kneading seamlessly with the others.

Tenten had never heard music like this before and judging by the looks on their faces neither had Naruto or Neji. Hinata however might as well have been in a white room; she went along as if this was just another day.

It dawned on Tenten; this girl had probably been doing this since she began school. She'd heard the band a million times. There was nothing new here for her. It was hard to believe that anyone couldn't notice the stream of passionate jazz pouring out from the stage but after all this time it must've just been white noise to Hinata.

Their was an outburst of applause due left. Tenten and Hinata pulled back in surprise as they watched Naruto leap to his feet and start cheering. On the stage Minato cockily elbowed Hizashi in the shoulder as if to say, "yeah, that one's mine alright."

* * *

"Man, weren't they awesome!"

"Geez, calm down will you?" Tenten asked. "You've done nothing but gush about them for the past twenty minutes. You can't do that during the show tonight remember."

"Yeah, yeah, how dumb do you think I am?" Naruto said, waving her off as he ran towards Omoi to help out with hauling the last of the equipment from the trunk of the car.

"You really want me to answer that?" Tenten muttered under her breath as she watched him leave. Stealthily she turned to Neji. "Did you see the way Naruto was looking at her today?" Neji's sighed and rubbed his tired eyes.

"No," he denied flatly. "No, there is no way…_he_ could fall for another human being…"

"Feeling a little protective of her already? Well we're seeing more of your soft side every day."

"I'd feel protective and very worried for anyone who…the boy in an orange jumpsuit falls for."

"Wow, you just keep showing more and more of a sentimental side. You're not going soft on us are you?" Tenten grinned. "Or is Neji Hyuga actually capable of showing emotions?"

"You know what we agreed, "Neji said calmly. "We get this lineage thing sorted out, then we can go back to what passes for normal."

"I certainly hope not." Tenten rested an arm on Neji's shoulder. "So, where do you want to start?" Neji frowned as he carefully reached a hand in his pocket. Slowly he fished out a wad of tissue paper and began to unwrap it.

"A rock?" the girl asked. "That's an awful lot of security for something so unlikely to run away." Neji rolled it over in his hand, looked at it, sighed and handed it to Tenten. The girl turned it over in her hand. It was small, smooth and grayish black with the figures H.H 1916 scrawled onto the back.

"That is the only keepsake I know is from my father." Neji said silently.

"The only thing? That's it? Not letters, no pictures, no nothing? Just how well did you know you father…? Sorry to personal." She wrapped up her train of though quickly in the ensuing silence.

"It's my only lead." Neji responded. "Everything else I own I got during my stay at the Sarutobi Home. They said I had that thing when my….when my mother brought me in. If we can find a match anywhere in the house that might get us somewhere."

"A rock?" Tenten repeated. "Okay cool, we just have to match this up with any other of the ten billion possible rocks on the planet." Tenten grinned at him as she held it up to the light. "Any idea if Hizashi has some kind of…rock collection in the house?" Neji eyed Hinata as the blue haired girl walked quickly across the parking lot carrying another bag.

"One way to find out…" Neji said leading Tenten towards the girl. Hinata's head twisted ever so slightly as she spied the couple coming. Neji picked up his pace as they closed in on her. Hinata in turn started moving away faster, breaking into a brisk walk away from them. Neji increased his speed one last time as Hinata finally bolted away from the two as quickly as possible. "Okay, clearly this going to be harder than I thought."

* * *

Music seemed to be the one thing drawing all these people together. There was a depression going on, people were worried about tomorrow, scared for the well beings of their family and themselves, but that's about all they had in common. Coming through the doors of the old-fashioned banquet hall doors were men, women and children of all different colors and classes. All for the sole purpose of listening to the New Age Knights of the Depression, listening to music and maybe forgetting just a little bit.

If would be a fantastic sight, if any of the kids were inside to see it. Hinata had disappeared only showing up briefly as soon as a caterer had handed free food to the official 'stage hands'. Hinata had taken hers and disappeared out the doors into the parking lot.

"C'mon Naruto," Tenten coaxed with a friendly tone. "You want to talk to her right?"

"Not for the sole purpose of spying on her," Naruto said quickly picking up his plate and moving towards the door.

"Look, you're the one who keeps going on about Hizashi being Neji's father," Tenten said. "You don't have to just come out and ask her, you could just mention it offhandedly and since you already planned to try and make contact prior." Naruto gave them a sarcastic smile.

"Fine, fine, whatever you say," Tenten and Neji frowned but simply shrugged and waved as he followed Naruto out the door.

"First he can't get enough of them and now he can't wait to leave," Tenten sighed. "Kids."

"He always has been," Neji groaned. He traded smiles with Tenten in the dim light of the banquet hall as the music drifted down off the stage. A low, long, lonely melody came from Dar's Sax as Mabui broke out into the song.

_"I never cared much for moonlit skies_

_I never wink back at fireflies_

_But now that the stars are in your eyes_

_I'm beginning to see the light"_

Neji, subconsciously, gripped Tenten's hand. He almost pulled back as soon as they made contact. Tenten looked at him cautiously, not with suspicious caution but with the caution that comes with baited breath. She was waiting, expecting him to speak up. Hoping. Neji was glad for the darkened room that covered the red that had rushed to his face so abruptly. He looked at Tenten and gave her, quite unexpectedly a boyish, unsure smile. It hung their for the briefest moments like many of his other smiles before he turned back to the stage letting go of her hand.

"Whatayya say we follow them?" Neji offered as they picked up their food.

"We can't hear anything sitting in here." Tenten sighed in agreement traces of a frown on her face, looking as if she had complete composure of herself. Neji tried to emote the same, as his heart and brain continued to race.

Hinata sat on the curb of the side walk, beside the large bushes that lay on the side of the building. Star gazing. She sighed while unconsciously shifting the food around on her plate.

"Hey Hinata!" Naruto called out suddenly. Neji and Tenten watched from the second floor of the banquet hall concealed by a large set of shrubs.

"Well, he's surprisingly smooth," Tenten muttered as she watched Hinata allow Naruto to sit down beside her as they began to talk, and talk, and talk, and talk. Tenten shook her head. How did that boy do it when this same girl had bolted from Neji in a matter of seconds.

"Wow!" Naruto enthused. "And you've been doing this for you whole life?" Hinata just nodded in response. They continued to talk, occasionally Naruto would blurt something out but for the most part their conversation was barely audible. Finally, Naruto gradually got louder and louder until suddenly he laid a hand on her shoulder. Hinata promptly fainted.

"Oh my gosh, the idiots killed her." Tenten deadpanned as she slipped balcony and down the firmly bolted railing to the ground. "Any news?" Tenten asked. Naruto glanced nervously down at the girl as Tenten held up Neji's rock.

"I uh...Whoa! Wait a minute don't give me that! How are you not dead?"

"….What?"

"The last time someone tried to touch that Neji almost gave them a permanent concussion." Naruto explained eyeing the boy with staunch suspicion.

"That person happened to be him." Neji explained.

"Boy he sure must like you," Naruto whispered taking the stone from Tenten's hand causing the girl to blush. Naruto paid no attention as he began to eye the stone.

"Yeah, this is a Petoskey stone, you only find em' out by Lake Michigan, they're famous for their patterns in water or something." Naruto said, looking it over carefully.

"And suddenly you know so much about rocks because?" Neji questioned.

"Hey I actually listened to Shikamaru talk sometimes, okay? He said that when people carve initials on rocks like this they're usually used as momento's to let people keep reminders with them about places they've been."

"Is that all?"

"Well you're fathers initials, then the same of the city, then the year. Sounds pretty standard. And Hinata couldn't either confirm or deny that Hizashi has a collection. She says he's got tons of boxes in the basement full or stuff he hardly touches. But, I mean , even if you did find rocks like this..."

"Theirs little way to make any connection that this rock belongs to the family." Neji sighed connecting the dots. "That was my only lead."

"Sorry," Naruto apologized as Neji stuffed his hands back into his pockets.

"Uh, guys? Passed out girl on the floor?" Tenten reminded the pair. Neji nodded as he and Naruto reached down, preparing to carry Hinata back inside.

**The next chapter reveals some more details about the characters and hopefully the whole family situation…hopefully. Well that's the chapter, I hope you enjoyed! Sorry for the wait.**


	21. Chapter 21

**Ha! I didn't take four months to update this time! I know I've said it before but I'll say it again. We're really in the home stretch now. Anyway, theirs some investigation in this chapter and hints at the big reveal. Hopefully I also focus a bit on the NejiTen infatuation with each other. I really hope I made their growth and attraction to each other believable and if I failed I'd love to hear some feedback on how it could've been improved. **

Sunday morning. Many times it's a period of rest and relaxation before the start of another backbreaking week. For others, it's a time to haul yourself out of bed for services.

"Church?" Naruto asked groggily as Minato shook him awake.

"Episcopal, since 1848," Minato grinned. "Be ready in half an hour."

"What's an episcopal?" Naruto mumbled sleepily to Neji.

"The strictest protestant church denomination with dark clothes and Latin services." **1**

"Wonderful." Naruto groaned, burying himself back under the covers.

* * *

"How're you holding up?"

"These are the tightest government clothes I've ever been forced into in my life," Naruto almost chocked out, trying to loosen the tie that had been forced around his neck. Neji sighed as the two lounged about in their hostel's lobby with the rest of the band waiting for the others.

"It's a mess, I was raised in a Pentecostal family," B said shaking his head looking at the two. "You know, throw your hands in the air, sing and shout at the top of your lungs, that's the way I was raised."

"Swing from the chandeliers," A grumbled over the morning paper.

"Exactly, I can't imagine why we switched! Here it looks like we're really bad actors doing a funeral scene!"

"If this tie gets any tighter I'll play the corpse," Naruto quipped as he continued to struggle with the suit. Neji glanced around the room. He was right, everyone was dressed in black suits, tight shirts and talked in hushed tones yet they seemed to be in good spirits.

The sound of shoes tapping down the wooden steps reached the room as the men looked up. Dar and B gave a low whistles until A slapped them on the back of the head. Mabui swept through the door and in a black skirt and top, giving the band a condescending curtsey. Tenten awkwardly strolled in Neji's direction in a similar outfit, struggling with the skirt length.

"I feel like…"

"Your neck is in a noose, yeah, I know," Naruto continued to grumble. Neji rolled his eyes as if to say 'suck it up already' "What disturbs me is that they had clothes the perfect size for us." Neji turned to Tenten.

"You look nice," he said casually. Tenten rolled her eyes.

"Gee thanks," she mumbled. "I haven't been to church since…" she paused and hand waved the issue. "What church did you go to?"

"I was told I was an Episcopalian but the orphanage only had one Chaplin who did all kinds of services," Neji said back. The two traded looks.

"You don't suppose…?" Neji cut her off by calmly shaking his head. "No, it's common that one people group all carries the same denomination, to say nothing of one large clan. What would really be a clue is if, my family immigrated the same time that Hizashi did."

"Don't you think it might be worth looking into?" Tenten asked. "Even if we find nothing that would just give evidence that Naruto's theory is dead wrong and it'd help us settle this once and for all." Neji sighed.

"Fine." Was the one word response as Minato skipped into the room and took a quick head count.

"Alright, we're all here! Church is just down the road!" The group gradually left the hostel walking out onto the sidewalk.

"Any idea where to start?" Tenten muttered. She knew the answer even before she finished.

"Just as a reminder folks, keep in mind that theirs no smiling is allowed past these doors." B said interrupting her train of thought, spinning around and pointing at the three, without looking back A raised a hand and smacked him on the head.

* * *

"Theirs a library?" Naruto questioned dubiously. "Look I know the house is big but…"

"It's more of a den with a lot of bookshelves so when we get their start looking for anything related to the family history." Tenten said briefly. The whole group had loaded back into the Packard. Hizashi glanced back at the group and the trio went silent, glancing out the windows at the continuous rolling scenery of Michigan trees.

"Yeah, like I know how to read. What're we looking for?" Naruto muttered as soon as Hizashi turned away.

"You do to know how. How else do you read those flyers? And a family tree maybe? An immigration record. Anything, that might give us a clue."

"I know those flyers like the back of my hand because I've had people read them to me over and over." Naruto replied.

"You know how to spot basic names don't you?" Neji queried, by now thoroughly annoyed. Naruto nodded and raised his hand as if he was going to say something before Neji continued. "Then you should have no problem helping us out."

"Alright," Naruto sighed in defeat.

"Not that I plan to find much anyway." Neji griped under his breath. Tenten jabbed him in the elbow and smiled at the annoyed look that crossed his face. Neji looked at her for a brief moment before his lips fluctuated into a smile.

"Well don't everybody all thank me and once," Naruto said. "But we'd better do this quickly and quietly. You know how mad Hizashi's gonna be if he…" Naruto's upper body did a 180 degree turn, his hand pressed up against his cheek as he stared boredly out the window. At the mention of his name Hizashi's keen white eyes had begun scanning the group looking for signs on anxiousness or perhaps guilt. For the rest of the ride back to Grand Rapids it felt as if one of those eyes was pinned on them.

* * *

"What do you have there?" Tenten spoke up as she leafed through a thick red book marked _Ellis Island – A History_.

"You want Angel Island, that's where Asian immigrants come through," Naruto returned looking up from his own book and shrugging his shoulders.

"Again I ask, how do you…"

"I talk to Shikamaru, Shikamaru knows stuff, what part of this concept is so hard?" Naruto asked with annoyance. "Anyway, mine says P-p…romin…ent, prominent, that means important right? C-l-a-n-s, clans of the 1880's. "

"Minato said the family arrived in 48' right?" Neji sighed rubbing his eyes. Naruto nodded reluctantly.

"Yeah, that's to late," he casually tossed the book aside onto a growing pile. It landed against the other hard covers with a thump. Neji and Tenten cringed. Naruto muttered a quiet 'sorry'.

"No please, I think theirs a few people that you didn't wake up." Neji growled. Tenten was on the verge of agreeing with him before she paused and looked at Neji with a smile.

"I don't believe this, you made another joke. Watch it, if you keep this going you could actually loosen up…you might actually develop a habit of smiling… Neji you could break your face." Naruto looked back and forth from Tenten to Neji and then in reverse order spying the goofy little smile on her face and the warm emotion in his eyes.

"I don't believe this," he said mostly to himself as he turned back towards the bookshelf. The two snapped back to reality.

"Nothing?" Neji asked solemnly.

"Sorry man," Naruto shook his head and he raised a book in his hands. "This was the last one that talked about immigrants or clans or anything that might have a family history in it."

"Don't worry about it." Neji sighed "That's two strikes now,"

"What about just focusing on the denominations?" Tenten piped up suddenly. The boys turned to look at her. Tenten nodded to herself as if she was really on to something. "Chruch records, they might contain stuff on who did what. Let's go through this one more time, search for anything of Episcopalian's! C'mon!" And with that she attacked the book shelf again, ravaging the shelves for any related titles. The boys looked at each other and settled for a shrug of resignation as they began to place the books back while looking them over a second time.

"All these names are starting to blend together," Naruto complained looking through a series on Civil War tariffs.

"Found it," Tenten jumped. Naruto glanced over at her eagerly. "The first member of the Hyuga clan to be ordained as an Episcopalian minister was Hyuri Hyuga in 1890. Theirs a whole family history in here. It goes all the way to…" there were footsteps in the hallway outside.

"Damn," Naruto muttered under his breath.

"Worst case scenario, that's Hizashi right there," Neji said.

"He was eyeing us all the way back. He'll obviously be thinking that we're stealing stuff or something like that." Naruto acknowledged as they slowly headed for the back door.

"Where does this lead?" Neji asked.

"The back lawn, but my rooms on the first floor near Dad's and I keep the window unlocked. We can just double back and…" Neji placed a finger to his lips as Tenten blew out the lantern. The trio stealthily slipped out the creaking back door and around the house.

"Who's got the book?" Naruto asked suddenly as they climbed in.

"I got it, I got it." Tenten said reassuringly.

"We should get back to our rooms," Neji nodded to Tenten. "If that was Hizashi then if he suspects anything our rooms are the next places he'll look." Tenten nodded as the group went their separate ways.

* * *

Deep into the night, by the light of a lantern Tenten continued to flip through the book. Searching for something, anything that would tie the names together. The Hyuga's were a large clan originally from Japan but their was a schism within the family and the smaller group immigrated to the U.S gradually working its was East and ending up in Michigan.

"Hizashi!" she cheered to herself as she finally came upon the name. "Born 1904." She meticulously scanned the rest of the information and grinned to herself. Finally. Finally, this was it.

** 's how they used to be known anyways, I'm not sure how strict they are these days. They just have that stereotype for hosting funerals in giant gothic buildings with ridiculously tall steeples. **


	22. Chapter 22

**Really, close to the closing now. I swear. Once again, a big thank you to all you wonderful reviewers out there! Your support has been most amazingly awesome, stellarly superb, overwhelmingly superb! I've enjoyed it as well. Not much else to say except enjoy!**

"Look at this," Tenten smiled warmly, shoving a slip of paper into Neji's hand the next morning over breakfast. "I copied it from that book last night." Neji looked at her curiously before opening it. "It's a family record. It clearly states that Hizashi was the first of three children who after marrying had two kids of his own. The second was clearly named Hinata but for some reason this kid, who would've been the same age as you is never mentioned."

"There are a few other explanations to this you know," Neji said, reading through the list of names.

"Yeah but at it's least evidence." Tenten coaxed, "Just think, this is a game changer. If it was kept in the records, then he really doesn't have any excuse. We just need to find something in this house, anything that connects the kid on this paper to you." Tenten grinned at him. Neji sighed, nodded reluctantly and went back to his toast.

"Okay, what's up with you? I'm getting pretty sick of asking this question mind you. I thought we got all this personal crap out of the way a long time ago so again I ask, what's eating you?" She said, the statement sound more like a command to speak as she took his hand and forced it to set his breakfast back down on the plate. Neji gave her a reluctant smile.

"If you had a choice, would you want to have a normal father or a distant one?" he asked. Tenten gave him an inquisitive look. Neji lifted the fork from his table and pointed it at the sour looking Hizashi. "He seems to have raised Hinata alright, even though he's not the most emotional or probably caring of parents. Still Hinata's been cared for, she hasn't been hurt or anything."

"Yeah, and?"

"It begs the question, if I really am his son then why am I out here? Why was I abandoned? Then, why would they choose to have another child?"

"Look, you just said there are different ways to explain things. Maybe they thought…" Tenten began placing a hand on his shoulder. Neji averted his eyes carefully and started down at the table.

"I've said it once and I'll say it again. Theirs' no way in hell that he's my father." Neji sighed. Tenten held up the paper, confronting him with the evidence. "Sure, books and records can say anything they want and yes, I'll consider whether these statements are true or not. Even if they are, I came halfway across the state, dodging police and losing friends to find out that my father was nothing but a mean discontented…?"

"I'm sorry," Tenten said, she sounded a bit put off by his attitude but still sympathetic.

"Don't be, I'm the one with the problem," Neji replied. He exhaled a long, drawn out breath. "We've been through a lot in…what has it been? Ten days? I guess I feel closer to you than I do to any blood related family I might have."

"Alright, alright, don't get all sentimental on me," Tenten said, a grin taking over her features, despite her attempts to resist. "You wanna go look for evidence?"

"Can I at least finish my breakfast?"

"Take it with you, we should get going before Hizashi has time to start breathing down our neck."

"Of course," Neji agreed, spreading extra jam onto his bread, before taking off. "As usual, not a word of this whole to Naruto."

"Hey, I'm spirited, not stupid." Tenten said rolling her eyes. "I can't begin to imagine what he'd do with this."

* * *

"Okay, this place could double as a summer home for Bing Crosby, theirs' gotta be some kind of keepsake that connects you to this musical abode." Tenten said as the two walked past their rooms.

"Good description," Neji chuckled.

"Hey, I learned from the best," Tenten smiled. "So, what do we use?"

"Pictures, family photo's, baby shots, portraits? If I really spent a year or two of my life here I doubt they'd just erase all trace of me after I left." Neji said scanning the paintings across the wall.

"Alright, I don't recall seeing any pictures of family, but that's a good starting place. We should also see if we can find any photos of you specifically. Any baby photos would also be nice." Tenten agreed, jumping up and down with anticipation as she started to jog off.

"Hey!" Neji called after her in a loud whisper. "We still haven't agreed where to meet back up at."

"We'll find each other," Tenten said, head turning to look over her shoulder. "Somehow we always find each other."

* * *

"_Tulips Under a Bridge _by Sai Shimura. Definitely not it." Tenten sighed to herself looking at the Dutch inspired painting that hung up just outside the second floor bathroom. Suddenly, she heard the sound of footsteps, turning around just in time to see A and Minato coming around the corner. "Shoot," she mumbled.

"Miss Tenten, Naruto's been looking for you, where've you been?" Minato greeted with his usual friendly smile.

"Uh, you know," Tenten said rocking back and forth on her heels. _Think girl think, _she mentally berated herself. She was usually so good with creating excuses on the fly. "Just admiring the artwork." A crossed his arms and gave her a dull look, obviously unconvinced.

"You were snooping around weren't you?" he growled. Tenten rubbed a hand behind her head sheepishly. Something about this man's stature told her not to try and pull one over on him, at least, not completely over.

"Yes sir," she grinned. "I got bored and decided to go exploring." Tenten finished innocently giving the two adults a wide eyed puppy like smile hoping it would be enough to convince them.

"Well I guess that makes sense," A said, nodding back. "But you know the old saying, idle hands are the devils workshop. If you're truly bored enough to be looking at these old things then maybe you'd life to give us a bit of help."

"And that would involve…what exactly?

* * *

"Attic cleaning?" Neji asked as the two proceeded up the ladder into the uppermost room.

"Perfect right? Instead of walking about the entire house raising a lotta questions we get to search the one place that's bound to have some answers in complete privacy."

"You let them up their? You let those conniving little…little." An angry voice rang outside the door.

"Geex, relax Hizashi, they're not murderers or crooks, just them be," Minato sighed, looking at his friend with aggravation.

"Let them be?" Hizashi replied. "You know what I keep up their! It's not for outsiders much less street urchins! I swear, if anything goes missing, even one single page, I'm holding you, personally responsible."

"Mr. Sunshine's at it again," Tenten muttered to Neji as the two pressed their ears to the entranceway. Even from inside the closed rooms, Hizashi's ranting could still be heard.

"As long as Minato and A are down their we shouldn't have any trouble," Neji said as he glanced around the dusty old attic. "Now what are we doing again?"

"…Looking for evidence?" Tenten offered as if the fact should've been obvious.

"I mean legally."

"Oh, yeah, we're supposed to be sorting through all these old boxes I think. Books in one corner, plain papers in another, knickknacks get their own spot and so on." Tenten said, scratching her head at what now seemed like a large workload in front of them.

There was a creak at the entrance. The pair turned their heads to see Hinata edge into the room. Neji crossed his arms as a skeptical look crossed his face. He looked over at Tenten who just shrugged.

"Thinking Hizashi sent her here to keep an eye on us?" she asked. Neji nodded. The girl sighed. "You're probably right."

"We should get her out of the room," Neji said quietly.

"Or…" Tenten grinned mischievously. Neji looked at her warily. "Come on, this will takes us ages to sort through, Hinata probably knows this stuff better than both of us. She'll be able to find it a lot faster than we ever could."

Neji raised his eyebrows before giving her an approving albeit reluctant nod. "If you can convince her to help then be my guest." Tenten nodded back and grinned. Slowly, as stealthily as possible she gradually drifted over in the girl's direction. Hinata soon noticed the gazes and turned nervously. Standing up she quickly tried to bolt for the door.

"Hey wait! We're not gonna hurt you," Tenten called, grabbing onto the girls arm, causing her to panic even more. Neji's hand found it's way to his face. "Can you please just hold still?" Hinata shook her head vigorously and struggled even more as Tenten gripped her with her other arm. Suddenly, Hinata straightened out one of her hands and gave Tenten's arm a firm whack. Tenten felt her arm go limp, still holding on to the other arm she collapsed pulling Hinata down with her.

"Ah! Ano, my mistake! I'm sorry," the girl yelled, rapidly firing off apologies as she stood up, bowed and picked Tenten back up on her feet.

"What the heck was that?" Tenten groaned rubbing her arm as Neji came up alongside her sharing her wide eyed look.

"A Hyuga clan defense technique, it's…" she paused as she looked at the two again. "Forgive me, I shouldn't be talking with you two. I have to go."

"Hinata," Neji called in his calm voice as she turned around. The girl paused. "We really need your help with this."

"I told you, I'd get in trouble, I'm sorry but father doesn't approve of you two. He thinks you're street urchins who are a bad influence and will rob us blind given the next opportunity. I'm only here to report if you're doing malicious, evil or unusual activities." Hinata said bowing again. Neji sighed. Well, at least now he could be positively sure that Hizashi hated him.

"Look we need your help, your dad doesn't have to know, we won't tell." Tenten coaxed. Hinata looked up nervously, even the thought of disobeying her father seemed to get her visibly upset. Tenten took the fact that she was still listening to her as a signal to go on. "We think Neji might be your brother." Hinata's eyebrows did frowns that neither of the two thought the human face was capable of.

"That's impossible." Hinata replied meekly but immediately. "Just because he has eyes like mine…"

"I know, I know," Tenten said. "Just call it a hunch, but we need some form of evidence to prove it or end this. We…" she paused. What was she going to say. She glanced quietly over at Neji. She didn't even know if he approved of this whole thing, or at least the lengths she was going to. The doubts began to resurface in her mind as she began to think just how ludicrous this sounded to an outside figure. Neji was the last one to want to delve into his past. Was she wasting his time on this goose chase that may not even have been worth it just because she had feelings for the guy and wanted him to get a perfect ending?

"We've been through a lot and at this point we'd like some closure." Neji joined in suddenly, placing a hand on Tenten's shoulder. "I haven't been the most receptive to the whole idea but we have worked pretty hard to get to this point. Or rather, Tenten has and I guess I just haven't been as grateful as I should've been. If you can help us out it would be appreciated. Should your uncle start asking questions I'll say that it was us and us alone," Tenten blushed again as she looked up at his face. Hinata glanced at him curiously, searching for any sign of deceit or trickery. Finding none she averted her eyes, as if ashamed that she'd doubted him. She started twiddling her fingers slowly before speaking up.

"O-okay, but you, you have to….would you…please do something for me in return?" the girl blurted out.

"And what would that be?" Neji asked. It was Hinata's turn to blush as she looked away again.

"Um…uh, well, could you possibly…arrange for a way for me and Naruto to talk together again, alone?" she stuttered out.

"I think that can be arranged," Tenten smiled. Hinata gasped a sigh of relief as the three turned and travelled back to the stack of boxes behind them.

"These are grouped by year, any photographs we take will always be in a red binder." Hinata explained automatically looking over the dusty containers before slowly removing one. She handed it to Tenten who opened it to find four or five black and white photographs.

"This is it! Look at this," Tenten laughed instantly lifting up an old grainy photograph for Neji to see. "Is that you or isn't it?" Neji sighed and looked carefully, scanning the details.

"It certainly looks like me," he reasoned.

"Looks like you? This IS you just as a baby," Tenten replied. "This must be a family photo. Here's Hizashi, his brother, the family elders, I'm assuming that's an aunt and an uncle, and all the kids down front."

"Hinata, is their any other storage room in this house?" Neji asked suddenly.

"Mhm, their is on down stairs but it's always locked," Hinata said.

"Not a problem," Tenten grinned as she and Neji rushed out quickly.

* * *

"Now," Tenten grunted as she the door swung open. She pulled her hairpin out of the lock and placed it back inside her pocket. "What was so important that it would be kept in the 'other' storage room. Theirs nothing here but supplies…"

"And these," Neji said from the back of the room. He opened another plain brown box and pulled out a sample of the contents. "Rocks, collectors rocks. Ton's of them. Take a look."

"The handwriting is an exact match," Tenten muttered looking them over curiously. "It's true, it's…it really is a perfect match, we've got all the evidence we need!"

"Let's make sure, c'mon, take a few of these and let's go back to compare notes," Neji whispered picking out two or three rocks.

"What do you think you're doing in here?" a strained voice asked, like a volcano hiding behind a mask of complete and utter calm. Neji and Tenten froze, turning around to find their worst fears confirmed. It was Hizashi, red faced and very, very angry.

"We…we're just, we're," Tenten gasped, for once in her life, words completely failed her. The daunting figure of Hizashi stared down at them. Fists clenched, jaw locked and eyes blazing with anger. This was it, nowhere to hide and nowhere to run.

**Can you feel the accumulation of the multiple convoluted plot points I've half heartedly tried to string together through this long and tedious story? I sure hope so because the revelations are coming next chapter!**


	23. Chapter 23

**Well here we go. This is the big one, hopefully you get a sense that this is what the whole things been building up to. I want to thank all my readers, you guys are awesome! Now on with the story!**

Neji subconsciously stepped in front of Tenten as Hizashi's grip slowly got tighter while he advanced on them menacingly. Panicking Tenten's eyes quickly darted back and forth across the room.

"No where to run, like rats in a trap," Hizashi gritted through his teeth as if reading their minds. Behind Neji, Tenten instinctively drew the jackknife out of her back pocket. Facing a guy twice her weight and size with a three inch blade that probably wasn't even real steel wasn't exactly a tolerable scenario but she wasn't really in a position to argue. Still, the knife was only a last resort.

"I was right about you all along," Hizashi gloated, more to himself than to anyone else. His eyes were furiously scanning the two like a cat does when trying to figure out just when to pounce on a mouse. His knuckles looked white from clenching his fists so tightly.

"Listen," Neji began, placing one foot down and halting Hizashi's advance. Resolve pierced through his voice as he raised a fist. Neji quickly felt it knocked it aside as Hizashi bared back down on him.

"No! No more excuses, you've had them all fooled from the beginning! Well now I've got you red handed! Stealing my things!" his higher pitched voice and attempt at concealing his anger made him sound more like a bitter child than anything else. That's when Tenten snapped.

"We weren't stealing okay! What the hell is wrong with you? Why would we steal rocks? They Are Rocks! We have absolutely no interest in taking stones! Why the hell are these things so important to you anyway huh?! I don't expect you to be nice to us but could you at least show some damn respect?" She fumed stepping out from behind a shocked Neji and staring Hizashi right in the face. The knife waved dangerously in her left hand as she matched the anger in her opponent's eyes. Hizashi momentarily froze, taken aback by Tenten's sudden ferociousness.

"That is none of your business! This is my property, you touched it against my will! After I was kind enough to take you in your filthy little thieves! I was right!" he rebounded.

"You're kidding right? You insult us, you bully us and you only took us in because you were outvoted so yeah we went through some stuff of yours stuff, but we never took or damaged anything! SIR!" Tenten was screaming now, teeth gritted and fists balled, ready for a fight.

"Then what do you call this?" Hizashi yelled back, waving his own fist in the air.

"Hizashi. What's this? What's wrong?" Minato demanded, crossing the threshold into the room. The calm, friendly demeanor was gone, in it's place was an alert and powerful sweeping glare. It did little to change the already charged atmosphere. Tenten had her hands on her knife, Hizashi's hands were raised ready to try and grab her while Neji watched the man carefully, ready to take Tenten and make a break for it.

"I've told you from the beginning, these two have been poking their noses where they didn't belong," Hizashi growled, the deathly restrained anger in his voice returning. Minato took the rocks from his hands and looked them over.

"H. Hyuga, June 28th 1916, Pontiac Michigan?" Minato read in confusion. "That was twenty years ago. Why were you poking through this stuff when I told you…"

"That's mine," Neji spoke up, the anger in his voice mimicked that of Hizashi's. He pointed directly at the rock in Minato's hand. "I don't know why, but that's a keepsake from my family, it's…all I have left."

"You little liar," Hizashi bellowed under his breath. His face looked red, like he might jump at the two at any second. Minato lowered his voice and looked directly at Neji.

"Where'd you get it son, just tell the truth."

"They're from my dad, I swear!"

"You said you're an orphan!" Hizashi yelled losing control and grabbing him by the scruff of his neck. "I'm going to ask you one final time!" Minato dropped the rock and tried to restrain Hizashi. "Where did you get this?"

"It's mine okay! It belonged to my father! It was his before he disappeared! My father HIASHI HITOMI HAYASHI!" Hizashi looked like he'd been cold cocked. His grip fell off of Neji's neck as he tumbled to the ground, eyes wide and hands shaking. Looking as if he'd seen a ghost he stumbled out of the room blindly. Tripping over his own feet.

"That's it, he's got…he's got to be…" Tenten gaped, trying to piece the puzzle together.

"Kid, that's enough, Hizashi is not Neji's father." Minato demanded taking the boy by the shoulders.

"Then why did he run out just now? Why would be run unless he was caught?" Neji questioned, looking as shook up as Tenten had been.

"No, he's not your father, but Hiashi Hitomi is his brothers name, if what you're saying is true, Lord help us all, then it looks like Hizashi might be your uncle."

* * *

"Now you're sure his name wasn't Hyuga?"

"Yes sir," Neji sighed again. "Hiashi Hitomi Hayashi, that's what I've always been told." Minato returned the sigh and nodded. Neji had been at the table for well over an hour. Hizashi had locked himself inside his room and had refused to come out. So Mabui, A and Minato has forced Neji into what had become a reluctant interrogation.

"Neji," Minato began again in what he'd dubbed his 'fatherly' tone of voice. "It's very important for us to know, if you can recall anything at all, what did your father look like?" Mabui whacked him on the arm, hard.

"Minato, just look at the boy, you don't need a photo to tell that's Hiashi's child."

"He's got the face structure, the same size eyes, build, everything," A nodded.

"Then theirs the eyes," it was Mabuis' turn to sigh, A and Minato turned towards her with confused brows. "Look at him, those are Hymura's eyes through and through."

"Where was he?" Neji asked. The adults looked up, surprised by his sudden intrusion. "Where was my uncle when my dad died? Why did no one come and find me?" A sent him a sorrowful glance.

"Son, no one knew where your father was. He ran away when he was sixteen." A began to explain. Neji furrowed his brow as A continued. "You see the Hyuga's have only been in Michigan a short while in the grand scheme of things. They were and still are very tradition oriented.

Hizashi and Hiashi were brothers, the closest I've ever seen. They competed against each other in everything. Sports, school, especially, music. Their favorite thing to do when they were about four was collecting. Their favorite collections were rocks. Special rocks, odd shapes, weird groves, special colorings you name it. They'd pick up the nice looking ones from different cities, mark them and then compare. But as they got older Hiashi found he didn't readily agree with a lot of the clans practices, one in particular was the arranged marriage.

Hiashi hated the tradition, he'd argue constantly with the elders about it. To the point where they got so frustrated with him that they simply kicked him out of the room or just threw him into the lake to cool him down. Hiashi'd always sworn to change the clan but he saw first hand how strongly customs were a part of the Hyuga. So when he found out that he'd been engaged without his knowledge, he didn't argue, he just took his high school sweat heart, started running and never looked back. We never heard from Hiashi again, though Lord knows we searched.

It hit Hizashi the hardest. He searched more than the rest of us combined, and he never stopped collecting. Those cabinets are full of his things, we've tried to get him to clean them out but he always makes some excuse to put it off. I think he always believed that Hiashi would show up again someday and that when the time came, they could laugh about just how crazy he'd been."

"We thought he was dead," Mabui sighed, taking Neji's hand. "Though, I guess, theirs still a good part of him here with us. It feels like…like he's come home."

"I was a friend of the Hyuga family," Minato said puckering his lips and rapping his knuckles on the tabletop. "I always told them not to push their kids so hard like that but it was tradition and tradition was made…"

"Minato, A, why don't you go check on Hizashi?" Mabui asked, she'd said 'why don't you' but it was clear that it wasn't a request. The two traded looks before heading towards the stairs. Mabui looked back at Neji carefully. "Now, I know this is a lot to dump on you so quickly but believe me, it's a shock for us as well. Things will be changing around here fairly soon, we're going to need your help adjusting to this new life just as much as you'll need our help. Hizashi's going to need it most of all. He always had such big plans for the future."

"I'll try my best ma'am," Neji said. Mabui gave a small laugh.

"You sound like him as well."

"Grace," Minato said appearing at the bottom of the stairs. "He's asking for you." Mabui smiled at him one last time before walking off.

* * *

Neji thumbed the rock in his hands as he sat at the edge of his bed in thought. The stone was cold; not exactly the best keepsake from a relative but it was all he had. A hazy, afternoon light peered through the curtains across the fine wooden furniture. An old grandfather clock ticked away at the far wall next to a locked closet. The closet Hizashi had told him never to open. It dawned on Neji that this might have been the same room his father had stayed in; anything was possible.

"How you holding up?" the sudden voice caught Neji off guard. His head snapped up to see Tenten hanging around the door.

"Fine, I guess," he'd meant for his voice to sound stronger, more assured of himself now that the whole thing was over but it came out more like a mumble than anything else. "You were spying on the whole thing I suppose."

"I like to call it intelligence activities," the girl sighed with a halfhearted grin. She took a seat beside him as Neji continued turning the rock over in his hands. "Hey…listen, I…" she stopped, stumbling over her own words.

"Go on," Neji said, his lips turning upwards, she smiled back.

"I know what you must feel like. I dream what a dad would've been like, how it would have been if I had a mom to read to me, ask me how my day was. Then I wake up and I'm back in the same position I was when I went to sleep." She said taking his hand. "I know how you feel. I'd give anything just to be normal, to have a family."

"Tenten, you already have one," Neji said gripping her hand tighter. "I already have one. I didn't know my father, but I still have a family, even through all of this I knew that even if I didn't find my father I already had people I cared about enough to call a family, however small it might be. So don't you even think of leaving. You're important to me Tenten."

Tenten's face broke into a full smile. She gave him a long look as his kind, mature eyes smiled back. She felt like laughing, life just seemed to perfect at the moment. A cool fall Michigan breeze drifted into the room, Tenten stared up at Neji's face as the wind blew a stray strand of hair across his face. She realized how close the two of them were when suddenly her lips were feeling the warn sensation of his. The butterfly's in her stomach multiplied a thousand times over. Neji's firm hands stroked her hair as the two gradually broke apart. Yeah, life was just about perfect.

**Finally, revelation and resolution plot and character all wrapped up into one nice package. Now, we've still got one last chapter to take care of the last loose ends (and because one paragraph of NejiTen after all that buildup seems a little cheap). However, for all intents and purposes you just read the climax. I hope you enjoyed! I'll get the final chapter up as soon as possible.**


	24. Chapter 24

**Here we go! One last time!**

Three days later…

"Ready? One, two, three, and blow." Dar instructed. Naruto placed his lips on the end of the recorder as a sound resembling that of a dying seal came out.

"No, no not like that man, from the diaphragm, down here," Omoi said shaking his head and motioning to his stomach. "And remember, keep them lips pursed!"

"What's the point of this again?" Naruto sighed rhetorically. Learning to play an instrument was pretty low on his list of priorities. Neji looked at his own recorder with disinterest. If he was completely honest, this really wasn't his type of thing, no matter how many times he heard someone talking about his family's talent.

"Well we figured that as long as we had new blood in the system, blood already related to the big three, we'd see if they've got any musical talent," Dar reasoned.

"Plus, if you three are signin on, then it's only fitting that you get proper jobs for a proper group of musical minstrels like us." B said, amusement crossing his face. Naruto's face curled into a frown as he bore back down on the instrument with new intensity. He blew into it again as it let out a low train whale. Omoi's face flinched visibly.

"Well," he said, "that's a little better." Naruto's face light up as he began to get the hang of it.

"I swear, I'm gonna practice every day, until I can play like you guys," Naruto beamed up at the group. They all laughed casually as Neji rolled his eyes again before taking a glance over at Tenten. The girl was looking over Dar's Saxophone with the same look Naruto was giving his recorder. She caught his glance and smiled over at him with the usual _'Here we go again,'_ look.

"So you say little man, so you say, but it's goanna be awhile before you're anywhere near as good as me. Heck! It's goanna be at least five years before you can hold my drumsticks!" B howled.

"And that's about four years and nine months longer than you'll be with the band B," Darui monotoned.

"Aww, come on man, you have to come clean and tell me what you heard! My brother wouldn't fire me…would he…?" There was a silent wail from the side of the room. It gradually became louder and louder, turning into a low sweet groan. Everyone turned to see Tenten disconnect her lips from Dar's saxophone, gasping for breath.

"Holy Cow…" Dar muttered as they stared at her.

"Mister Hyuga! Sir!" the band members, including Naruto yelled running out one by one. "I think you'll really want to see this!" As soon as Hizashi walked past the whole group turned silent. He dodged Neji's gaze and kept walking, signaling for those who wished to talk to him to follow.

"Just give him time, he'll warm up to you," Tenten sighed placing a hand on his shoulder.

"We'll see," Neji said with an aloof sigh. "So many things are changing around here, it's…unsettling."

"Well, who knows what the future might bring," she smiled as Neji gently lowered his face to hers and kissed her softly. "As long as I'm with you I can look forward to it."

"We're only 14, you sure you want to spend you entire life stuck with a loner ice cube such as I?" Neji half mumbled as their faces drew closer together. Tenten shivered as she felt his warm breath ignite her senses.

"All this time people have been telling us how lucky we are and I haven't really believed them, but I guess in these times, I have a roof over my head, food, friends but even without all of that…" she let the rest of it go unsaid as she quickly brushed her lips along his, tugging, exploring. Neji's arms reached around her, pulling her close.

"I'm the luckiest girl in the world. We'll make this work."

"Look at those two," Minato smiled as he and Hizashi observed them from a distance. Hizashi having managed to shoo off the band for the moment. "Much like yourself all those years ago." Hizashi stayed silent, only looking on. "Maybe you should take the opportunity now to make up for lost time?"

"…No, not now, soon but not now," Hizashi sighed to himself. "I thought my brother was gone for good, having his son around now, it's just going to take some getting used to."

"Well you'll have to adjust one way or another," Minato said looking at the silhouette of the couple embracing, because I don't think they're going anywhere anytime soon."

* * *

Eventually, the world emerged from the depression though only if to stumble into World War II. Naruto stayed on with the band and did in fact catch up to their level, ending up as a the lead pianist. During World War Two he was drafted into the USO and ended up becoming something of a minor celebrity.

Shikamaru and Temari were released back into Sarutobi's custody back in Flint. When they turned eighteen Temari enlisted in the armed forces and of course dragged Shikamaru into it as well. By 1945 Temari had been promoted to Sargent in the WAC…Shikamaru had been promoted to Major.

Kiba Inuzuka never did find his sister, or any of his family for that matter. He did however find work in a small Michigan town. As luck would have it, he was thrown into Shikamaru's unit during the war. Afterwards, using Shikamaru's considerably large G.I Insurance they went into business together.

Saskue Uchiha continued to ride the rails with his brother and due to his criminal record he was able to avoid getting drafted into World War II. On the road he met Sakura whom he continued to travel with until the booming economy put him out of business and he retired with her in relatively well off lifestyle in New York.

The world itself eventually emerged from the depression and the following war, damaged but alive. Broken but hopeful. For Neji and Tenten, they world just went on like it did every day, with each other.

* * *

"Nostalgic isn't it?" Neji asked as he walked arm and arm with Tenten through the doors of the now aging restaurant.

"Nostalgic for you maybe," Tenten teased. "The only reason I know of the Sweet Pea is because you take me here every year on our anniversary." Neji smiled back subtly as the wave of smells washed over him again.

"Just remember, no playing tonight. This is your day off," he reprimanded in a tone that would be considered stern by anyone else. Tenten however, could only interpret as…playful. So many years of courting and marriage tended to do that to a relationship she mused to herself.

"Yes, Mr. Manager," Tenten grinned back. "So you know…no discussing that concert you booked all the way in Battle Creek next weekend, how we're going to have to leave at three in the morning from…"

"Now you're just making fun of me right?" Neji grinned as the two were escorted to a fair sized wooden table near a newly renovated stage at the far side of the building.

"We all have hobbies," she shrugged playfully pecking him on the check before gently taking a seat. "Just because I'm the lead in the New Age Knights now doesn't mean I can't relax once in awhile."

"That's all you do is relax," Neji retorted as he flipped through the menu.

"Right, right, well since A and Hiashi retired it's nice that we've still got someone to manage this whole shebang. I'll have the Tuna-potato chip casserole and the peach cobbler." She said smiling before turning back to Neji. "So, who's the big performer tonight? Lois Armstrong? Miles Davis? Duke Ellington?"

Neji just smiled at her as she continued to roll off the biggest names in jazz music like clockwork. Not that she was necessarily an unknown herself, the particular genre may not have been as popular as it once was but the New Age Knights might as well have been a household name in Michigan.

"No," he cut in handing his menu back to the waitress. "I got someone special." Tenten raised her eyebrows as the music suddenly flew off the stage. The curtain pulled back to polite applause as Naruto appeared on stage flanked by Darui, A, B, his cousin, Omoi, Minato, Hizashi and Mabui.

"The entire 1938 New Age Knights band?" Tenten asked with excitement as the tempo began to slow. "How'd you get them all assembled here?"

"I had some help," Neji grinned nodding his head over towards the opposite corner of the room. Temari and Shikamaru dressed sharply in their 50's attire, seated adjacent of each other raised their glasses in toast.

The waiters slowly began pulling the tables away from the center of the room as Neji offered Tenten his hand. Blushing, she took it as he pulled her up from her seat and to the center of the floor, gently swaying all the while to the powerful musical strains. For a second again she was that girl again kissing him for the first time all those years ago.

"_This is for the happy couple in the middle of the floor," _Naruto's voice echoed from the stage. "_Here's to Tenten and Neji, for making it work for 10 years now and ever since they were just 14!"_

Neji and Tenten leaned in, lips gliding together as the familiar warm sensation shook their bodies as it had so many times before.

"Happy Anniversary," Tenten whispered. They continued to dance, swaying across and back, silent, content, together.

**Well this story is actually ending. So hard to believe that the story I began about two and a half years ago is finally done. After a lot of writers block, loose plot points and late night writing I'm finally done! I just want you to all know that this story was a blast to write and I thoroughly enjoyed it! Thank you all for sticking with it no matter how convoluted or cheesy it was!**


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